Star Trek: The Nara-Maru Files 3
by G.W.Ryan
Summary: A seemingly harmless War Simulation turns into a deadly game for the Nara-Maru Crew as they fight to clear their names before all out War breaks out between the Iolians and the United Federation of Planets.
1. Chapter 1

_Star Trek: The Nara-Maru Files_

_A Deadly Betrayal_

_In the year 2561..._

Living longer then most of her species by decades, Asami Hirayama had seen and done many things throughout her extended life which had been given too her as almost a gift by the one who was her daughter, from an alternate timeline that she had witnessed over a century ago. The United Federation of Planets had expanded in all directions beyond anyone's expectations as technology had advanced at an incredible rate as worlds where welcomed into the Federation with open arms as the large Super-Power covered the Alpha and Beta Quadrants, with the exception of the tiny Iolian Unity. Although the two powers had an Alliance Treaty, supporting each other and trading technology, the Iolian Unity had refused membership within the Federation many times in favour of remaining independent, especially since the Federation had encountered more hostile species in their expansion of their sphere of influence across the galaxy. Enveloping the former Romulan and Klingon Empires along with the Cardassian Union, the Federation now looked at the Gamma and Delta quadrants with hungry eyes.

Shuffling through the place she had called home since it had been built too hers and her late wife, Teela's specifications more then a century ago, she could feel the long darkness approaching even more so since Teela's death fourteen months earlier. With help from her great-granddaughter, Asami climbed into her bed with a sigh and groan as she finally managed to force out a smile for the first time since Teela's death.

"Thank you, my dear" Asami said as she gasped for breath. "Will you please, do me a favour?"

"Anything, whatever you ask" The young woman said with a tearful smile on her face.

"The long night is close, please… gather everyone. There is something that you should all know before I… before I die"

"Nonsense Asami, you still have many decades ahead of you" Wept the young woman who was named after beloved late wife.

"I have lived longer then most Humans or Betazoids will ever live and when, when my life long friend, partner and wife was taken from me, I knew… I knew that my time was close. Please my dear, honour my dying request as you would for anyone else?"

"Of course"

"You know, you have more then her name, you look a little like Teela when I first met her. In many ways, you remind me of her, you always have…" Asami said almost weakly.

"She was… she was an amazing and strong woman. I have lived my life by her code of honour and yours"

"Do not tell anyone that I said this my dear. You have always been my favourite… you have always been there for me, when my life is over… enter my private vault, everything which is in there… will be yours"

Slowly pacing the room with her arms behind her back, the young woman laughed as she turned and face Asami with a smile as she spoke.

"Of course, but it will take sometime to bring everyone…"

"I know nevertheless my time is short… you must hear what I have to say and tell Kaila, tell my daughter and everyone my, my confession. What Teela and I did and how we almost destroyed a world from our arrogance and stupidity"

"Asami, you have done nothing wrong…"

"No child, what I have done in the past has far exceeded the horrors of what I once saw…"

_185 Years Earlier…_

It had been exactly two years to the day since the Dominion War ended and finally the United Federation of Planets had almost rebuilt its forces as once again, Starfleet continued with its mandate of exploration however, the loss of life in such a brutal war had cost the Federation and all concerned greatly. On the planet of Cardassia Prime with a Civilian Casualty rating of over Eight Hundred Million dead, perhaps the greatest loss of life on any world after the dominion forces turned their weapons onto the planet itself as punishment.

Although they remained away from the war itself, Iolia still held a casualty list including the heir to the Regency himself. After the narrowly avoiding the near fatal accident which could have sent the galaxy into yet another war, Asami Hirayama and her Iolian wife Teela sold their shipping business contracts to another before fulfilling their dream of owning a Construction Yard. With orders flowing into their business from all over the two quadrants for their unique class of civilian vessels, the Archer-Nara class transport ships had begun to be delivered throughout the Alpha and Beta Quadrants to their new owners.

As a part of a sales pitch for new prospective clients, a holographic recording of the two owners had been created while Asami and Teela stood in what had become their new home's private holo-suite which was primarily used for training and new ideas for their growing business.

"… So as you can see, the new class of civilian transport vessels will be specifically designed for each prospective client, designed for your own needs…" Teela said with a large smile towards the Holo-Camera.

"Whatever your needs, we are sure that we can modify a vessel for you. Be it cargo transportation, civilian transportation or personal vessel, the new design of Archer-Nara Class ships are the way forward for civilian use. Written into this program of which you are currently observing is a brief walkthrough of our new vessel class…"

"And should you choose Del-Corp for your next purchase of Civilian Transport, we can be reached at Iolia, contact the Hirayama Family Corporation or the Iolian Transport Ministry. Thank you for your time, and thank you for choosing our product, we hope to hear from you soon" Teela said before the two bowed slightly with respect.

"That's it, You're all done Aunt Teela" Called out a proud and tall Iolian male. "I shall send these out shortly to those who have expressed interest in your product"

"Thank you Julan. Let's hope this brings in more interest"

"I don't know Teela, I hate doing business this way… but I've got admit, it's an interesting way of reaching new clients"

"I know Sam. I know you prefer the hands on approach with everything. Oh, which reminds me… did you take a look at Starfleet's proposal?" Teela replied as she held her hand gently.

"Not yet, I haven't had the chance. I've been… so busy lately, I can barely sit down. Brief it for me?"

"I know, we haven't had much time for each other lately. But you're going to like this one… yep, you're going to like this a lot!" Teela said as she led her out of the holo-suite and towards their home office.

Slumping into the large chair behind the ancient wooden desk which she had brought from her from her family home on Earth, Teela sat on the desk facing her as she placed an Iolian tablet in her hands with a smile as she spoke.

"Starfleet wants to run a military exercise close to DS-9, they heard your claims that the Nara-Maru is more efficient then their Defiant Class, they want to test your theory"

"Are you kidding me? The Nara has always been the superior class, granted… she's not designed for combat, but she can give the Defiant a run for her money. Granted, her weapons are not as powerful as a Warship, but with her hull-armour and superior manoeuvrability… we could create some serious damage… in theory of course" Asami said as she read the file before her.

"In theory, anything is possible. In theory, I can throw a Starship in space with my middle finger alone… in practice, I can't" Teela said as she laughed.

"You know I went over all of this with Miles O'Brian a few months ago, when I was on Earth" Asami said with a smile.

"When you see O'Brian?"

"I told you about it, you where at Starfleet Command, going over the Alliance Treaty and he asked me to give a guest lecture at the Academy on Iolian Construction methods? Don't tell me you don't remember?"

"I must've forgotten, this last year has been a whirlwind…"

Laughing slightly, Teela slipped off of the large desk and straightened her dress as she walked towards the door with a smile as she spoke with a soft tone and a large smile on her face.

"It's getting late and we have a busy day ahead of us tomorrow. Come to bed?"

"I can't, I've gotta a lot of work to catch up on" Asami said slowly.

Walking out of the office with a slight smile on her face, Teela disappeared from sight as moments later, the dress she was wearing landed outside the office door as her footsteps faded slowly on the marble floor as she spoke into Asami's mind '_Your loss_'. Smiling to herself, Asami returned to the seemingly endless pile of work she had been putting off for weeks as she pulled on an old pair of glasses.

For almost eight hours, she signed the many requisition forms which had come past her desk. Although the work was mainly computerised, something which had always annoyed those around her and those who worked for the family was the fact that she had almost demanded that requisition forms be submitted in paper form and required her personal signature of which she used an antique fountain-pen handed down to her from through family line. Made of 24 karat white gold, with a yellow gold writing tip, it was one of the few things which had survived through the years from the early 21st Century and given to her ancestor by an author, long since forgotten although the inscription was barely visible it read '_Semper Enim_' meaning '_Always Busy_' in the ancient Earth language of Latin.

_Four Hours Later…_

After her usual meditation, Teela slept in the large lavish bed they both shared awoken quickly as Asami entered the room and leapt onto their bed with laughter in her voice and a large smile on her face while she shook her wife awake. Stirring slowly, Teela slowly opened her eyes as she saw Asami sit by her side with excitement.

"Ohh, what? What time is it?"

"Ohh, umm… 0315 hours" Asami said with excitement.

"What? It's to early. You know I haven't slept in days… I need at least eight hours this time" She said as she rolled over.

"Ohh, forget that, listen up… I've just spoken with Admiral House at Starfleet Command. They want to test our theory, you where right"

"What theory?" Teela through a yawn as she sat up slowly.

"The Nara-Maru against one of their ships. I told them she's down for maintenance for a few weeks, possibly a month, but when she's ready… they're calling in some war-games. They have a few ships they want to use at DS9..." Asami said quickly as she blinked rapidly.

"What? What the hell is wrong with you Sam?"

"Ohh Ahh… a few cups of that Coffee you like so much. I think I'm getting used to it now. Listen, we can do this, I've worked out a scenario with Command, they are eager to test this out, DS9 is out of the way and is the perfect set up" Asami said, almost rambling through her words.

"Slow down, slow down… test what? What about DS9?"

"What? Ohh, hang on… where is that damned thing… ohh here it is"

Reaching behind herself, Asami placed a large Iolian designed computer tablet into Teela's hands as it instantly activated with a mission brief of the suggested war-games. Sitting next to Teela, Asami could not sit still as her wife read over the display while Asami called out everything on the tablet.

"It's possible, it could be done. What is this they are thinking of over Bajor?"

"Wait, what, where? Ohh that is a drone they are going to put in orbit. First we destroy that, considering it an attack on the planet itself. Afterwards, we move towards DS9 and attack the station, simulated of-course. Assuming that we get past the vessels they are putting around the station, the Defiant and a few others. When we are ready, Starfleet will send us an observer for our part. None of the others onboard any ship or DS9 itself will know that we are the ones who will attack them… except an observer on each ship and the station of course. If we destroy the drone and neutralise the station, we set course towards a… '_Safe-Zone_' outside the system which will single the end of the war-game, once we activate the buoy which will be in place"

"It could be done. How long did you say we would be out of commission for?" Teela said with a large smile on her face.

"Roughly a month, it would take Starfleet that long to arrange things, shall we do it? We could put those upgrades on the Nara we've been talking about? Her shields, new weapons and so on. It'll be fun!"

Nodding slowly as she yawned, Teela looked at the display once again as Asami pushed a control on the tablet itself as the display changed and a human face appeared on the screen wearing a Starfleet Uniform. Instantly, Teela leapt under the covers as the Admiral smiled before looking away, noticing that she was wearing nothing as Asami laughed.

"Umm… Should I call back?" Called out the Admiral.

"No-no it's fine" Teela said as she emerged from the covers, holding them over her bare chest. "You could've warned me he was waiting…"

"That was more fun…" Asami laughed. "Admiral Jonathon House, my wife… Teela"

"A pleasure Ma'am. I find Asami's plan… interesting, with the recent conflicts with the Dominion and the ever present threat of the Borg, a little war-game is a good way of shaking off the dust, so to speak"

"Yes, she generally acts without thinking lately. It could be done… how many ships are you thinking of sir?" Teela said with interest as she blushed deeply with her own embarrassment.

"Perhaps four, counting the Defiant, mixed classes of ships to get a wider range of capabilities and possibilities. I know that Mrs Hirayama has Starfleet Training and you served within your own planet's military for a long time. When you are ready, I will be at Deep Space Nine as an observer. We have a lot of excited people back here ladies, myself as one of them. The vessels you had been using throughout your cargo run days, had developed a reputation amongst Starfleet… I have just completed reading your file. You had the USS Enterprise running in circles for days before they found you. Very impressive"

"Thank you sir…" Asami said quickly. "One thing, I think I mentioned it earlier. No one other then the observers are to know that WE are the target, only that a threat has been made against the station, simulated of-course"

"Of course. I assume that you will have a battle plan ready in time?"

"Trust me sir, if my idea works, they will never even know that it was us… and for everyone's sake, I hope that I am wrong on that one. This should be fun and it's good to see you again sir. When it is over, you have to come out here, spend a few weeks leave. We should catch up Admiral"

"I will do that Sam, talk to you soon. Starfleet out"

As the screen went blank, Teela handed Asami the tablet as she sat up slowly with a slight smile on her face as she spoke.

"You know him?"

"Yeppers! When I was at the Academy he was my instructor, he ran the Kobayashi Maru test. I had the biggest crush on him back then, he was so dark and mysterious. Ohh, don't pout, he's nothing compared with you. He was so disappointed when I left Starfleet, I had an offer not long after to return as his Chief Engineer, I got the message two weeks later but it was too late…"

"Regrets honey?" Teela said, faking a frown.

"Hell no! I met you not long after, and look at what we've built since… we have a mini-little empire here. I married the most beautiful woman in the entire galaxy, actually a real Princess… and the tech that we have found and created together, has changed the lives of everyone on this planet and neighbouring colonies" Asami said with a large smile on her face. "You must've had a few people in your life before me. Actually, you never talk about your past, why?"

"I… Actually, before you… there was no-one else, I was so deep in my work that I never found the time. Ohh granted, I did fall in love once but I knew that he wasn't right for me. I wanted something, someone different and from the first moment I saw you, I knew that you where something special and when my ship was taken from me… I knew that it had to be you… Ohh, please don't sing that damned song!"

"Just for you, I won't sing. We've never… really talked like this have we? But, since you're awake… and it'll take a few days for this coffee to work through my system, a bath I think… and then, let's have some fun!" Asami said with a wink.

_One Month Later…_

Arriving at the Rendezvous point, the Nara-Maru awaited the arrival of the Starfleet vessel USS Carpathia, an aging and decommissioned Excelsior Class Starship currently assigned to Starfleet Academy as a training vessel for Cadets. After the upgrades and a month long refit of their vessel, the Nara-Maru was now ready for action in the War-Games designed to test their abilities against a more formidable enemy.

Sitting comfortably in her seat, Asami looked at Teela with a smile as she spoke with a calm and soothing tone in her voice.

"Did you give any further thought to my idea?"

"I did, but how? We are not exactly… compatible Sam"

"I know Teela, but… I want us to have a child, somehow. We could offer an amazing life for any child, look at what we have now. Cloning may be out of the question, but-but we could adopt a baby? I want someone to share everything we have together"

"Adopt? Iolian orphans never come up, rarely anyway… and with my lifespan, I could not loose a child, it will be hardest of all to loose you. Saying that, I've looked into cloning techniques, don't say anything to anyone… it could be considered illegal babes. After the… renegade Jem'Hadar incident, our fleet found their cloning facility and took it home. It's your human side that is incompatible with my own. I would love nothing more then have a son or daughter with you, but right now sweetheart, we have… other things to do. Picking up a vessel approaching, it's the Carpathia. They are requesting permission to beam two persons onboard. Looks like we're about to have guests"


	2. Chapter 2

_Star Trek: The Nara-Maru Files_

_A Deadly Betrayal_

_In the year 2561..._

Listening to the story as told by her great-grandmother, the namesake of Teela sat beside her bed as the old woman explained about the past, how an innocent war-game between the Federation and her own vessel. The former Starfleet vessel, which had been rebuilt and converted into a small and fast ship which had become well known across the quadrant as famous civilian ship.

"Grandmother Asami, you could not have known what would happen"

"You are very naive Teela, I should have known… _WE_ should have known that people where taking notice of us. But it was a simple game, a game that turned into horror many years later" Asami said weakly. "Anyway, back to my story… The USS Carpathia pulled along side the Nara, and beamed over two old friends…"

_185 Years Earlier__…_

Stood before the transporter platform, Teela and Asami waited for their guests to materialise before them as two forms finally solidified while crouched over to avoid the low ceiling on the ship itself. A large smile beamed over Asami's face as she ran towards the two men stood before them and hugged both of them as she spoke.

"Miles… John, welcome onboard the Nara-Maru"

"Hello Sam…" The Admiral said slowly as they stepped off the platform. "Is it my imagination Sam, or is this ceiling a little low?"

"She was originally designed that way. They had to use a shorter crew for these ships. Besides Admiral, we're not all six foot four inches tall"

"Actually Admiral, this is… about right for my people" Teela said as she shook the Admiral's hand gently. "My people are relatively short compared with most species. Sam here, is one of the tallest on our planet"

"And you can imagine my shock when I found that out. Admiral, this is Teela… my wife"

"A pleasure ma'am. Finally clothed I see?" He said with a smile as O'Brian gave her a questioning look.

"She still owes me for that Miles. So I take it that you are our observer?"

"That's right, I'll be monitoring your progress from your bridge. I will not interfere with anything you do… I see that you have made a few modifications to this old ship?"

"Yes, care to take a look around? I think you'll be surprised at how much she's been modified over the past few years"

"I thought you'd never ask" He said quickly. "A quad-Nacelle design, impressive. Doesn't that cut up your warp efficiency?"

"With a duel warp-core, no" Teela said with pride.

"Two warp cores? I'd like to take a look at that" Called out the Admiral. "Unfortunately if I am to report to DS9 in time for the games, I have to leave soon. But after the games are over… I'll take you up on your offer of seeing your new homeworld, if that's okay with you two?"

"John, you're more then welcome to stay with us for as long as you want too" Asami said with a large smile.

"I'd also like to hear a few stories of Asami at the Academy, we she always this… nuts?" Teela replied quickly.

"More so! I have a few stories that I think you should know about, like the time I found her wandering around the campus wearing an officer's uniform…"

"Ohh please no, anything but that one" Asami said as she blushed deeply.

"She was wearing Captain's pins, even her own instructors didn't recognise her…"

"It was a bet John, I made the bet with a few friends that no one would notice me, just the rank pips…"

"I noticed, also the uniform was a size too big for you" He said with a laugh.

"A part of the bet John… it's good to see you again old friend. How about another bet? If we win, you get me a case of that Ale you've been keeping hidden…"

"Done! And… how the hell do you know about that?" The Admiral replied with a large smile.

"I'm half Betazoid remember? Teela has been helping me with… strengthening my abilities"

"And more I see. You look good together ladies. Sam, you've done well for self… your mother would have been proud of you. Well, I should leave… see you after the games. Good luck!"

"You're going to need it Admiral, We… have a few ideas that will work" Teela said quickly.

"Remember my orders on this one Ladies, Miles… to make this scenario as real as possible, you must all think and act like a pirate!" He said with satisfaction.

"Arrrggghhh!" Said O'Brian with a laughter in his voice.

"That's the spirit, but not that literal"

"Are you kidding me Admiral? I've been waiting for days to do that!" O'Brian said with laughter.

"Well on that note ladies, Mister O'Brian… I should be leaving. See you in a few days"

Eight days of living onboard the cramped and tiny vessel had reminded O'Brian of the many times he spent onboard the USS Defiant and her replacement vessel, although one thing he could not get used to and something which eventually had begun to become difficult for the old Irish Engineer was the low ceiling throughout the ship itself. After spending over an Earth week walking around hunched over, as not to hit his head on the ceiling, he was almost glad when they finally approached the Bajoran system and the '_Battle Scenario_' was about to begin and he could finally stand up straight once again.

In the years that the vessel had been in the ownership of what had become the Hirayama family, the ship itself had been modified many times including the new bridge module which had been installed before the new assignment began. A sleek an elegant design with a twin deep grey console design, reminiscent of the USS Defiant herself, although far from the standards of a Federation ship, the new half-moon style console displayed markings in what he had come to know as the Iolian language itself. Set into three different areas with helm and navigation directly in front of the pilot, sensor readouts at the left of the helm section and offensive and defensive systems to the right. Although the ship itself had been heavily modified to operate with a crew of one if possible, Teela sat at a second console to the left of Asami's, designed with a similar curvature and displayed the controls in the same language, displaying Engineering, communications and auxiliary offensive-defensive systems and large leather-like chairs. Since they knew that an observer would be monitoring their progress during the '_War-Games_' a new system had been installed to the left of the viewscreen and hidden from view of anyone who was looking on. Displaying a standard Starfleet console, he had access to all systems of the ship for his observation duties.

Entering the system under their own personal cloak, the Nara-Maru slipped into orbit above Bajor as a small Buoy was detected orbiting the planet, a buoy they all knew was marked for destruction. On long range sensors, three Federation Starships could be clearly seen in an orbital pattern around Deep Space Nine while three Federation Runabouts orbited the planet below them. With a smile on his face as he quickly identified the three Starships, he leaned back in his seat as he spoke.

"Okay, you're on Ladies. You have been fully briefed on the rules of this game. Your systems have been set for the scenario…"

"Thanks Miles, now sit back and have fun. Three ships have been identified as the USS Defiant, USS Sutherland and the Prometheus… crap!" Teela said quickly.

"Not really, the Prometheus is the main problem, but where is the forth ship?"

"No idea Sam, she could be hiding on the other side of the planet. I'm tapping into the orbital satellites… got it. Nothing, there where supposed to be four ships, but that makes things a little easier on us" Teela replied with a smile.

"A ship under cloak maybe? We know that Starfleet has a few cloaks, hell… we gave them a few of our designs"

"What?" O'Brian said with a laugh.

"Circumventing the Treaty of Algeron. I though you knew? We gave some to the Klingon and Romulans also. Not as sophisticated though" Asami said with a proud smile on her face. "Scanning for cloaked ships… nothing. Maybe she hasn't arrived yet? Or waiting outside the system. Either way, that fourth ship is an anomaly. Let's proceed as planned agreed?"

"Of course!" Teela nodded.

"Setting course for the Buoy, locking on… beaming the device and activating the systems"

"What device?" O'Brian replied with interest.

"Nothing major Miles, just a magnetic mine. Beaming it two inches from the buoy it should attach instantly. It's designed with the same materials as our outer hull, making it difficult to locate on sensors, the size of the device should make it next to impossible to locate…"

"Impressive Teela" O'Brian nodded. "What now?"

"Well, setting course out of the system, then we'll decloak before we re-enter the system and then we just walk in through the front door" Asami said with pride and confidence.

Re-entering the system, the Nara-Maru dropped out of warp speeds and proceeded at full-impulse speeds towards the Station itself while the large Nebula Class starship Sutherland approached them slowly.

"This is Captain Lorenzo of the Federation Starship Sutherland to civilian freighter, please identify yourself"

"This is the Nara-Maru on course for Deep Space Nine, we have a… business meeting onboard the station. Is there a problem Captain? Why the heavy Starfleet Presence?" Asami said slowly.

"Checking database. Nara-Maru, Iolian registered under the command and ownership of the Hirayama family"

"Yes Captain, that's us. For the past three months, we have been negotiating with a client for the purchase of a few of our vessels. Unfortunately, due to his time constraints… we have had to make the negations take place here, on the station rather then our homeworld… is there a problem Captain?" Teela said quickly.

"No ma'am. This vessel is currently involved in a battle scenario. Our orders are to challenge any and all vessels entering this system" Replied the rugged Captain on their main screen.

"I see sir. We are transmitting our files to you now Captain Lorenzo. We received confirmation from our client three weeks ago. He is waiting for us… this is a delicate negotiation Captain… and a great contract for us" Asami continued.

"This appears to be in order ladies. You have permission to pass, proceed at one-quarter impulse power, any deviation from that will result in you being escorted away from this system. How long will your negotiations last?"

"Two, three hours perhaps four at the most sir" Asami said with a gentile smile.

"Very well… In four hours, you will leave this system or your vessel will be impounded for the duration of the war-games. Welcome to DS9 ladies, and good luck. Sutherland out!"

"Friendly, type isn't he?" Teela said after she closed the channel.

"Wait, you arranged a sales meeting during a war game?" O'Brian said with a half smile.

"How else do you think we're going to walk into that place Miles? When this war-game came up, we arranged the meeting before we finalised this assignment. Of course you know Miles, you'll have to remain onboard while we conduct this meeting?" Asami said as she stood.

"Of course. If I'm spotted here…"

"… They'll know that we are the target. Now, if you'll excuse me. I need a shower and a change of clothes. I should look all business like for this part. Honey… you know what to do?"

"See you soon"

Winking slightly, Asami left the command deck of what had become their personal 'Flag-ship' of the small business fleet which they had operated. With two more almost identical vessels owned by the family business, the Akagi-Maru had been assigned to the company itself for the use of their Board of Directors when needed, although what had been the troublesome 'Third ship', a ship which seemed to reject the upgrades had been dismantled and used as the basis for the new fleet they had designed, the fifth vessel constructed had been assigned to the company in the hopes of showing off the ship to prospective clients and given the permanent name of '_Nara's Pride_'.

After approaching the station and transmitting yet another copy of the docking permits, boarding passes and other documents to the Operations Centre, permission to enter the station had been given as Asami finally re-entered the Command Deck as Teela stood slowly with a large smile on her face.

"My god! You look amazing"

"Sometimes, looking all business like can be fun. Are the glasses and briefcase too much?"

"Actually Asami… it works" Miles said as he stood slowly.

"Thanks Miles. Well, I should be leaving… Teela, see you in two hours"

"Two hours it is. Good Luck…"

Nodding slightly, Asami turned and left as the two on the ship kept their eyes on her as she disappeared from view. Wearing a white blouse with a mid-grey business jacket and matching thigh length skirt complete with matching grey high-heels which clicked on the deck plating with each step, Teela stood shocked as she kept her eye on the entrance to the rest of the ship as her wife disappeared. Although the clothes she was wearing caught her eye, it was the way her usually free-flowing long black hair had been elegantly tied behind her head, framing her features perfectly along with the thin-framed spectacles she sometimes wore.

"I can tell you one thing Teela, you sure are lucky" Miles said as he sat down slowly in his chair. "So, can you now tell me what this is really all about?"

"I guess that it's now time. Once onboard DS9, she'll make her way to Quark's Bar where we have previously booked a holo-suite. Our… client will join her. Once there, Asami will place a small data-crystal into the control panel which will connect directly to me, here where I will place a virus into the computer. Relax Miles, nothing major… just enough to simulate an explosion on the station, shutting down their modified weapons, sensors, shields. Basically for the duration of this scenario, the station would've been destroyed and hopefully, take out some of those ships out there along with it. Simulated, of course"

"Impressive, I was wandering how you would take down the station. So your basic idea is someone smuggling a bomb onboard? What kind of bomb would it have been? The sensors on the station as very advanced, I designed them myself" Miles said slowly.

"Something which has been… banned, on my world for centuries. The virus would simulate an organic explosive device powerful enough to blow the station into large chunks. Once we're far enough away from the station, we'll detonate the buoy and activate the virus before we run like hell towards the safe zone and hope whatever fourth ship out there, doesn't find us first"

"Impressive. That fourth ship has you worried, doesn't it?" Miles said with a large smile.

"It does, you know who they are… don't you? Tell me?"

"I don't, not even Admiral House knew before he came on board. We're aware of your abilities and decided on hiding that information from you. Besides, the fourth ship hadn't been assigned to this mission before we left, it could be anyone" Miles said with a large smile on his face.

"I don't like surprises Miles. I'm activating the communicator chip Sam has hidden on her, the glasses will transmit an image of what she can see on the main screen. Two-way communications is possible, but we should limit what we say"

"Of course"

Appearing on the main viewscreen before Teela and the console in front of O'Brian, the interior of the station could be clearly seen as Asami walked through the corridors of the familiar station and finally entered the promenade, the commercial centre of the former Cardassian station itself. With a slight smile on his face, O'Brian leaned closer as he saw several of his former crewmembers going about their business completely oblivious to his observations or the '_Enemy_' amongst them. Upon entering the more then familiar Quark's Bar, Asami scanned the room as O'Brian searched the bar for anyone he knew before the image stopped at the bar as O'Brian laughed while Teela spoke.

"Morn, Does that guy ever move from that seat?"

"Not in seven years. I rarely saw him move" He replied with a fond smile.

"You're doing great Sam" Teela said slowly.

Arriving at the bar, Asami placed her briefcase before her as the Ferengi owner walked towards her with a strange smile on his face as he spoke.

"Well, I knew that you'd come back… miss me?"

"Like I'd miss Andorian Shingles. I take it that my holo-suite is free Quark?"

"It is. So, where is your beautiful wife? Separated I hope?" Replied Quark with a large smile on his face.

"None of your business Quark. However, since I am conducting _OUR_ business in your… holo-suite… half of your payment has been made, the other half… upon completion" Asami said with a stoic face.

"Your… guest, has already arrived and is waiting"

"Good. I just hope that your antiquated holo-technology is up to the task as advertised. Our, guest… as you say could not make it to my homeworld, our personal holo-suite is far more sophisticated then yours…" Asami said with a laughter as she walked towards the steps leading to the holo-suites.

"They have their own private holo-suite? Makes you wander what happens in there Morn?" He said with a sheepish grin on his face.

Upon entering the large cavernous room, she greeted her human guest with a traditional handshake before she placed the data crystal into the port at her side as a hologram of the proposed vessel appeared before the man. Stood in what would be the bridge, he walked around with a smile as she spoke carefully.

"As you can see, the bridge has been designed to your own specifications. The layout of the consoles is of your own personal design. Stepping away from standard Starfleet designed controls, as many people want and leaning more towards the design you wanted…"

"A 22nd Century design? I like it. I noticed that you have a twin console design, similar to a Starship's Conn and Ops systems?" He said quickly with a large smile.

"Yes, we have a similar design on the Nara-Maru. The colouring that you requested was… unusual though. However, the metallic silver appearance is an interesting idea. Relax Tom, once your vessels are constructed, the… colour will not be used again, unless you want more ships of course. Each vessel we built is unique to its customer. Several other clients have requested at least four ships of identical design. Once the design they chose had been built, it became their own property" Asami replied slowly.

"And what if they chose to build more ships on their own, based on your design?"

"Then we'd have yet another court-case on our hands. We bought the rights to the Archer Class starship from the Federation and registered our own design variation with Federation and Iolian law, which is now a protected design. Plus, our engine designs are… difficult too replicate"

"What about repairs or replacement parts?" Tom said slowly and cautiously.

"We guarantee a ten year warranty on all ships, each vessel is tested meticulously for any flaws before delivery. In the… unlikely event of a malfunction… our engineers will repair said vessel free of charge for the duration of the warranty. When the ten year has expired, you will have the option of continuing with the warranty or take the risk of going alone. However I feel that I must warn you Tom, any unauthorised modifications made the vessel could possibly result in the warranty of the vessel in question… void" Asami said firmly as she showed him around the bridge.

"So I will not be able to modify my ship if required?"

"Depends on what the modifications are, our Legal department would iron out those details with you once I return to Iolia, let's just say that… don't screw with the engines or primary systems. Six months ago, a client installed a new system onto his ship. A Holo-Com-link, it fried the main computer core and almost blew out the EPS grid…"

Onboard the Nara-Maru, Teela remained sat at her console as she continued to hack into the station's main computer core while being carefully watched by the Starfleet Observer, Miles O'Brian.

"Relax Miles, I'm not going to enter into any… classified data, I've accessed Quark's personal database. Looks like he's been into the main computer a few times, he left his backdoor open, very sloppy. I'm in… now, where are you, you little… Ahh! Perfect. Tertiary back-up systems for the auxiliary computer core. Sending the virus. Once activated, it will shut down the systems before the virus will purge itself from the database… nothing will remain and no sign of what happened"

"Interesting tactic" Miles said with an impressed smile.

"This isn't my first war-game sir. I'm… very old in human terms. As a Cadet, I was pitched against three Iolian scouts with nothing more then something similar to a Starfleet Runabout. Granted, I lost… but I took two out of commission and left the third limping home under thrusters. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must change before I join my lovely wife for the final half of the meeting"

Signing the papers brought with her into the meeting, Tom nodded as he looked around the holographic representation of the small engineering section of their famous new class of civilian vessel while the doors of holo-suite opened and Teela stepped into the engineering section wearing a traditional Iolian dress for her status. An ankle length Iolian Silk dress which hugged her figure almost like a second skin, white with silver detail around her slender waist yet almost see-through with the exception of her matching underwear. Shock gripped Tom as his jaw almost dropped at the vision before him as her long dark hair flowed with her graceful movements while Asami smiled slightly as she spoke.

"Tom Bears, you know my business partner and wife, Teela?"

"Umm-umm… yes, a pleasure to meet you in person finally" He said with a slight stutter.

"Forgive me for being late, I had something to take care of via subspace back home" Teela said before kissing Asami's left cheek. "So, I assume that you are impressed with out vessel?"

"More then. How long before you can deliver those ships?" He said with his eyes wide open.

"We have several Keels for these vessels already on the shop floor, however the extensive details you want will take a little longer, three months…" Asami said with a smile.

"Can it be sooner? The vessel I am using is almost past it's lifespan… can it be sooner for at least one?" He said with hope.

"Sam, that's what I'm late. Remember Jarvis Core?"

"Yeah three ships of… promising design" Replied Asami.

"He has cancelled his contract with us. He has… purchased a vessel with a competitor"

"SHIT! Alright, Tom… his design is not far from yours and almost complete. With a few modifications… we can have one ready by the end of next month?" Asami said quickly.

"Really? How much will that cost me?" He said with a sigh.

"Upon cancellation of a Contract, all deposits are none refundable as stated in the contract. His deposit should pay for the refit needed and the rush on delivery that you require…"

"Sam is right Tom, I've check with our legal department, that's why I am so late. Legally, we can transfer the contract over to you"

"Really? Agreed!" He said with a large smile.

Once Teela had written out an addition for the new contract, Tom signed it quickly before they left the Holo-suit for the bar below and a celebratory drink which Teela and Asami had bought for everyone in the bar as they shouted '_Drinks all 'round!_'. As their allotted time fast approached, the two quickly left the bar itself and headed back towards their vessel with cheers from the patrons at the bar itself. From the rear of the bar, an alien male walked towards Quark with a look of greed in his eyes as he spoke to the Ferengi.

"Who are those intoxicating women Quark?"

"Teela and Asami Hirayama. As the hewma'ans are fond of saying… '_They are out of your league_' Tebb" Quark replied with a large smile.

"Anything is available, for the right price Quark"

"Not them, I know a few who have tried" He laughed.

"In that case Quark, I have a business proposal for you… one that will be very profitable for the both of us"


	3. Chapter 3

_Star Trek: The Nara-Maru Files_

_A Deadly Betrayal_

_In the year 2561..._

"Great-Grandmother. As I have said, you can not hold yourself responsible for what happened" The young girl named Teela said slowly and lovingly.

"Yes, I can. You don't know the full story… where was I?" She said with confusion.

"You had just left Quark's bar?"

"Ohh yes. Our plan almost fell apart as we walked through the station, we met Admiral House once more, only… an old friend was with him. It seems that the Klingons had an interest in our little game and Worf was on the station. We all played along with the meeting for Worf's benefit before we boarded our ship with five minutes left, the Sutherland was watching us closely as we left the station at a speed they instructed…"

"And?" She said with interest.

"Everything fell apart…" Asami said with a smile of fond memories.

"How?"

"The fourth ship had arrived and our worst fears had been realised…"

_185 Years Earlier__…_

Clearing the station and slipping past the patrols, the Nara-Maru had almost reached the safe-zone as a fourth ship had dropped out of warp directly before them, with the modified shields and weapons activated a familiar voice echoed through the Nara-Maru's bridge as Teela and Asami looked at each other with a deep sigh.

"This is Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the Starship Enterprise to all vessels currently involved in the war-game. A device of Iolian origin has been attached to the buoy around Bajor, the target ship is the Nara-Maru. All vessels, converge on this location"

"Ohh shit!" Teela said with a laugh.

"I thought you said the device could not be seen on sensors" O'Brian said with a large smile on his face.

"We've had some… dealings in the past with Enterprise and her crew. They always seem to know where we are. Raising cloak" Asami replied with a slight laughter. "Of course, this now changes things. Teela, Plan C?"

"No, we didn't anticipate this development. This is not the usual patrol route for Enterprise… Sam, remember me telling you about the battle of the Courageous Forge on Iolia?"

"What, Ohh… you've gotta be kidding me. That was a planet-side battle and over 1'000 years ago, although the tactic seems sound enough. Give me fifteen minutes… get us the hell out of here. Miles, I know that you are an observer here, wanna get your hands dirty for awhile?"

"I'm just here to observe Asami, you know that" Miles said, disgruntled.

"Relax, I just need an extra pair of hands that's all. All you'll be doing is handing me some equipment while I do all of the work. Trust me?"

"No one will know Miles…" Teela said with a large smile. "Plus, Asami can explain what we are doing for your report while she works. I'm taking us away from the Enterprise, Defiant and Prometheus is closing on our location… Sutherland is not far behind"

"Alright, but I can't do any work for you, you do know that Asami?"

"Of course, follow me to the forward launcher… hand me that emergency tool-kit next to you console, will you?"

Onboard Starfleet's latest Flagship, Captain Jean-Luc Picard sat back in his chair with a large grin on his face as his crew continued with their business of now locating the cloaked vessel, Nara-Maru. A small and effective former transport vessel now utilised as a makeshift warship. Although they had dealt with her unusual crew on several occasions in the past, he held them in a high esteem as a possible ally and perhaps even friends. It had become clear to the captain in the past of Asami's former Starfleet Career and her reliance on unusual tactics when backed into a corner. However, more of a mystery to him and his crew was the woman known only as Teela, Asami's Iolian business partner and wife.

Throughout Starfleet's many encounters with the vessel, their strong telepathic abilities had been widely documented by Starfleet Command along with Teela's assistance to help Asami with increasing her own abilities, however it was not known to what effect this change had made. Nevertheless, one thing was of a concern to Starfleet, the rumours of several within the Iolian species having a telekinetic ability of unknown strength, perhaps the real reason why Starfleet had chosen this small distraction in the first place.

"Commander Data, report?"

"Scanning sector two so far, there is no sign of the Nara-Maru Captain" Replied the Android officer.

"Her cloak is perfect Captain. Obviously the Iolian government has been holding out on us" Geordie replied from the Engineering Slave console.

"Keep at it people, I want answers not excuses. They have challenged the Federation to this game of their's. Also, find out why they where really onboard Deep Space Nine Commander Riker. This doesn't feel right. I'll be in the ready-room. You have the bridge number-one!"

With a nod from his first officer, the valiant captain entered his personal office space onboard the ship to once again review their past encounters with the Nara-Maru and her owners as Riker sat in the Captain's chair with a somewhat familiar grin on his face as he looked at the ship's Councillor, Deanna Troi.

"Deja-Vu… Will" Troi laughed.

"What?"

"I was simply thinking, several years ago we had a similar job of locating that ship…"

"She's right Commander…" Replied Geordie from behind them. "Try not to fall asleep this time"

"One little mistake!" Riker said with an embarrassed shuffle in his seat. "Will I ever live that down?"

"Not really Will" Troi laughed.

"Speaking of which Deanna, do you… sense anything from the crew of Maru?"

"Nothing, but of course… I never could when Teela was around, she has the ability of… blocking me somehow. I could never get a reading on her Asami however, was an open book to me"

"Scan the aft quadrant of the ship… they could be hiding between our nacelles again" Declared Riker as he stood quickly.

"Commander, do you believe that they would try that action once again?" Data replied.

"Asami is a student of Earth's history… specifically, the old west"

"Butch and Sundance?" Troi said with a fond memory of her father's holodeck programs.

"It worked once before, no-one would believe they would try it again" Riker said with a nod.

"Butch and Sundance? Accessing… Butch Cassidy, born Robert Leroy Parker April 13 1866. The '_Sundance Kid_' Born Harry Alonzo Longabaugh sometime in 1867... both presumably killed in a shootout in November 1908... Fascinating"

"I know the file Data… the also robbed the same train twice, thinking that no-one would believe they would pull the same stunt twice. Asami will know that…"

"Scanning aft section of the ship… sensors are detecting what appears to be a large disturbance close to the port nacelle"

"On-screen!" Riker said with a large smile.

Shifting from the image of the small fleet and Deep Space Nine to the aft section of the ship, a small anomaly appeared between the twin nacelles as the image shifted through the sensor range. With a smile on his face, Riker called for the captain to return to the bridge while he sat in his own seat with a smile of content on his face as the captain stepped back to his station as he looked at the screen with a smile.

"Well Commander, that did not take very long. I see they are once again hiding in our wake?"

"Yes Captain" Riker said with a smug grin on his face.

"Alright, send an encoded message to the Prometheus, move in our position. Have the Defiant stand ready and the Sutherland protect the station"

"Gladly sir!" Riker replied quickly.

Slowly, the USS Prometheus moved into position as the USS Defiant took an offensive position between the Enterprise and their home port of Deep Space Nine while the aging Nebula Starship Sutherland maintained her defensive position. Watching their screens onboard the Nara-Maru, the '_Renegade-Crew_' for the duration of this assignment, sat backwards in their twin seats as the Starfleet vessels took up the positions they had wanted as O'Brian nodded with interest at what he saw.

"Of course you do realise that they can see the cloaked drone between Enterprise's nacelles?"

"Yes!" Teela laughed. "All apart of the plan. Sam, send the activation codes when ready…"

"And that will do what?" O'Brien replied as he typed away at a Starfleet Issue Padd.

"The Buoy will self-destruct as programmed by our… little device, the virus will activate on DS9, taking the station out of the equation while at the same time, our little distraction will send out… something similar to an EMP pulse which should, in theory at least take the Enterprise out of the equation also. Hopefully, the Sutherland being as close to DS9 as it is, her computer should recognise that DS9 was destroyed and react accordingly…" Asami said quickly.

"But that still leaves Defiant and Prometheus"

"Yes Miles, I know that… ergo our next move… speaking of which, opening a secured channel. Nara to Akagi, you in position brother?" Teela said with a smile.

"Ready and waiting Teela"

"Stand by, on my mark. Keep this channel open… Ohh relax Miles. We never… work alone" Teela said with a wink.

_In the year 2561..._

Asami's frail and elderly body had begun to fail her as her breathing became difficult. Although her telepathic abilities had long since left her, her grand-daughter could still hear her thoughts while the old woman could barely speak.

'_Teela, I know that you can hear me… I am… afraid_'

'_Do not be afraid Asami, I am here with you. You need rest, close your eyes…_' The young woman said tears in her eyes, after hearing the full story and hearing the guilt of her crimes.

'_Tell me Great-Granddaughter, do you se me in a different light now? Everything I had done… I tired so very hard to protect Iolia and the Federation… and I failed_' Her mind called out.

'_No! it was not your fault. You where both cleared by a board of inquiry on Earth… you said that, I saw that from your own mind_'

Almost instantly, the doors of the room where Asami lay with her last breath burst open as an elderly woman entered with tears rolling down her face as she ran to her side and took her hands carefully as Asami looked up with a half smile.

'_Kaila… my beautiful daughter_'

"What's wrong with her Teela?"

"She is close to passing over Grandmother. The doctor has done all he can for her"

"No! please, not now… Mother, I need you. I need your guidance" Kaila wept.

'_Kaila, Teela can help you now… she knows everything that I did. Remember what I gave you, use it… use everything you can and live your life as I no we have taught you. I have been blessed with a long and fruitful life, because of you… I am proud of you Kaila. My daughter…_'

Alarm bells rang through her room as the holographic doctor reappeared automatically and checked her vital signs with a tricorder which had been left on the table at the side of the bed before he shook his head as Kaila broke into tears while her granddaughter and almost the mirror image of her late mother wrapped her arms around her and broke into tears while the doctor deactivated the alarms as he made a note in the medical logs of her time of death.

Throughout the Iolian Unity, a small alliance of eight Star-systems, a week long time of mourning had been ordered by the Regent himself in honour of the woman who had helped to sculpt the Iolian people into one of the most technologically sophisticated in the known galaxy. Under Iolian traditions and her own last wishes, her remains where placed in a large mausoleum next to the remains of her late wife after a state funeral paid for by the Royal Court itself.

Sat before her large family, the young girl and heir to Asami and Teela's personal effects had begun to explain everything that Asami had told her as a part of her last request.

_185 Years Earlier__…_

"Captain the fleet has responded and awaiting your reply" Called out Lieutenant Commander Data from his station.

"Very well Commander, Enterprise to all ships… now!"

Moving from his seat with a large smile on his face, Captain Picard stepped at Data's side as he looked down at the display next to his long time Android friend and subordinate. Shock overcame him instantly as the orbiting buoy around Bajor exploded with a small fire-ball before the cloaked object between the Enterprise's nacelles decloaked before a shockwave bounced harmlessly off of his ship's hull. Reacting instantly at the simulated damage, all systems on the ship shut down accordingly as if a large explosive device had been detonated between their vital Warp Nacelles.

"What the hell is going on?" Riker yelled as the emergency power activated.

"Computer has reported simulated damage to all sections, warp and impulse drives are off-line they would have been destroyed" Data replied as stoic as ever.

"We're dead in space" Growled the chief of security.

"Impressive…" Picard said past his laughter.

"Captain, I do not know they have accomplished this, Deep Space Nine has reported a simulated destruction and the USS Sutherland has also reported simulated destruction. Although we can not continue due to the simulated attack, main sensors are on-line however captain, we can not contact the remaining vessels"

"Very impressive… status of the Defiant and Prometheus Commander?"

"USS Defiant has taken minor simulated damage to their impulse drive, estimated repair time is eighteen hours. The USS Prometheus is fully operational. Detecting a vessel decloaking…"

"She's bragging" Riker replied as he stepped at his Captain's side.

"It is not the Nara-Maru Commander"

Onboard Deep Space Nine, Colonel Kira leaned against the central table in the operations centre as she laughed slightly at what had happened, in one brief moment a small vessel and her crew had albeit destroyed two heavily armed Federation Starships and Starbase leaving only two vessels to complete the task at hand. Walking towards the Commander of the Station, Admiral House smiled slightly as he stopped at the table console opposite her as he clapped his hands.

"I told you they where good. Thinking outside of the box has always been Asami's strong point"

"How the hell did she shut down my station so easily?" Kira said with an impressed smile on her face.

"I don't know Colonel, I'm jus glad they're on our side" Called out Doctor Bashir.

"We still have sensors… the vessel Akagi-Maru has entered the games. She is targeting the Defiant and firing her main weapons array, simulated damage to the Defiant's weapons array… Akagi is cloaking, picking up another ship decloaking, it's the Nara-Maru she is strafing the Defiant. Prometheus is moving to assist. The Nara has cloaked once again…"

"Hit-and-Run tactics…" Kira smiled.

"Both ships are decloaking and heading towards the Defiant. The Akagi seems to be having trouble with it's starboard upper nacelle, she's leaking warp plasma and pulling away from the combat zone for repairs"

Onboard the Nara-Maru, the voice of the Commander of the Akagi called out threw the speakers as Teela looked at Asami with a slight worry on her face.

"Teela, Nacelle one has taken damage… the injectors have broken loose once again"

"Understood, veer off… I guess we'll have to this the old fashioned way" Replied Teela slowly.

"Shut down Nacelle one and divert power to the remaining nacelles?"

"Already done, however… with this damage, we are unable to fully cloak" Replied Jerrod from the Akagi-Maru.

"Sam, the Defiant has altered her position… they're coming straight for us"

"Jerrod, remember what I told you?"

"We're on it Sam!"

Feeling almost useless as they continued to observe the battle-simulation progress without them, the bridge crew of the USS Enterprise, the pride of Starfleet, Flagship of the United Federation of Planets and one of the few '_Legacy Vessels_' in the Federation itself could do little more then sit back in their seats and watch the battle unfold before them as the two remaining vessels moved towards the tiny enemy vessels.

Almost instantly the warp plasma from the Akagi-Maru stopped streaming from the nacelle as it re-entered the battle-zone along with it's sister ship as they began to weave around each other in an unusual fashion.

"What the hell is she doing?" Riker called out.

"Thatch Weave…" Picard replied with a smug grin.

"Accessing… Thatch Weave, also known as the '_Beam Defence Position_' is an Arial defence tactic devised by John S. Thatch soon after the United States of America's entry into the Second World War. Theoretically, if an opposing vessel approaches either ship, the second vessel can cover said vessel with defensive fire" Data recited from his memory banks.

"They appear to have modified the tactic slightly" Called out Captain Picard.

Locking her modified main weapons onto the Nara-Maru, which appeared to be controlling the unusual tactic, the USS Defiant continued with her assault while the Akagi-Maru made strafing runs while in position against the powerful Defiant Class ship before the Akagi-Maru broke off her assault once again seemingly by accident, which allowed the Defiant a clear shot against the Nara-Maru herself.

"Sensors have indicated the Nara-Maru is taking moderate damage to her aft shields Captain" Called out the Security and Tactical Officer. "Defiant is moving in for the kill shot"

"When backed into a corner, Asami Hirayama often relies on unusual tactics and… What the hell?" Riker said with shock on his face.

With all eyes on the bridge now firmly locked onto the main viewscreen, they watched in shock and awe as the tiny greyish-black vessel made what appeared to be an impossible move for a vessel moving at such speeds as instantly, the vessel changed position. Pointing the bow of the vessel in the direction of travel, it instantly nosed down the viewscreen of the Enterprise and continued to swing around on it's axis while travelling in the same direction. For a brief moment, it was travelling backwards while her powerful weapons fired through the Phaser-arch, slamming into the Defiant's modified shield grid as it continued along it's trajectory before returning towards their direction of travel before levelling off.

"How did they do that?" The Tactical officer called out.

"I have no idea" Picard replied.

"Simulated damage on all decks of the Defiant, estimated repair time, three days four hours. Akagi and Nara-Maru have altered course and heading towards the Defiant, they are firing their main weapons… Simulated destruction of the USS Defiant Captain. Both Akagi and the Nara-Maru have altered course for the USS Prometheus, they are firing their modified disrupters and torpedoes. Prometheus' shield are holding…" Data narrated.

"She was right, they are a formidable vessel" Picard said with an almost pride in his voice.

"Prometheus's shields are beginning to collapse…" Data continued. "Prometheus is separating…"

"Big mistake" Riker laughed.

"Both the Akagi and Nara-Maru are targeting the middle section of the Prometheus… her shields have collapsed. The second section of the Prometheus has reported it's destruction Captain, the shockwave from that section would have destroyed all three sections. The Nara-Maru has now moved towards the beacon and activated the system"

"She's won? Damn it!" Riker called out.

"Attention all ships and Deep Space Nine, thank you for that little distraction… it was… entertaining to say the least. This war-game is now over as a victory for the little-guys" Asami called out with pride over the channel to the entire fleet.

"This is Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the Enterprise, well done…"

"Debriefing in one hour onboard DS9. Congratulations Mrs Hirayama, Colonel Kira out!"

Although her voice showed a hint of anger over the humiliating defeat at the hands of two freighters, Kira was more then impressed by the perfectly planned attack against the station and surrounding ships. With all ships either docked at Deep Space Nine or orbiting the old Cardassian Station itself, a full debriefing had been delivered in the Ward-Room onboard the station before all command staff had been invited into Vic Fontaine's bar in one of the Holo-Suites above Quark's bar. Upon entering the bar seemingly out of time for the 24th century, O'Brian instantly felt at home as the holographic lounge singer walked towards him and greeted him with a warm smile and hardy handshake before he looked at the two women at O'Brian's side.

"And who do we have here?"

"Vic Fontaine, allow me to introduce Teela of Iolia and Asami Hirayama…"

"Mister Fontaine" Teela said with a warming smile. "He's a…"

"Hologram, yes I am" Fontaine said quickly.

"You know what you are?"

"It's a long story" He said before he turned and spoke to Asami in Japanese as she blushed and replied.

"Yes and no… excuse me please? I see someone I would like to speak with"

Turning a bright shade of red, Asami left as Teela looked at Fontaine with a questioning look as she spoke.

"What did you say to her? I've never seen her like that"

"Never mind, please… help yourself to drinks and whatever you need. Excuse me please, Miles, Teela… I think I see someone else I haven't seen in a long time" Fontaine said politely before he nodded slightly and left.

"Interesting Program, how brought it here?" Teela said with a large smile.

"Originally, it was Julian's… Fontaine has become an institution around here. He runs constantly except for maintenance routines. I miss the guy" O'Brian said with a smile.

Walking towards the bar area of the Holo-suite, they ordered their drinks before turning and heading towards a table with a smile as Asami sat at their table with Captain Picard at their side as he spoke with a large smile on his face.

"Well Teela, I must commend you on your victory, it was an interesting tactic. Asami informs me that it was your idea?"

"Most of it Jean-Luc. To be honest, when you showed up… we had to adjust our tactics. I was hoping to leave the Akagi out of it until the last moment" Teela replied with a laughter in her eyes. "Enterprise always seems to show up around us"

"Indeed, we have also noticed that. Your vessel is most… unusual. Next time Teela, we will defeat you" Picard said with a wink.

"Ohh I still have a few moves in reserve. O'Brian here thought I was nuts when we flipped the ship over like that. A basic defensive move on Iolia, modified of course… the Defiant is a powerful ship, we where lucky"

"Then what about the Prometheus?" Called out a voice from behind them.

"Ahh yes, we took a gamble on her shields, at the moment of separation between the three sections, we noticed a 0.35 second whole in your shield grid… we saw that a year ago when your ship was under another battle simulation with Klingon forces" Teela called out to the First Officer of the Prometheus.

"And we took a gamble it hadn't been corrected. However, it all went wrong for a brief moment, the Defiant had us and we knew that, but the commander of that ship blinked or hesitated for a moment, that gave us our opening"

"When?" Called out the Ferengi officer as he stepped at their side.

"When we flipped the ship Lieutenant Nog, it was not our intention to continue along that trajectory, we wanted to instantly change our heading towards you… our impulse drive shut down for a moment under the strain. Whoever was in command of the Defiant had us…"

"That was me!" Nog said with embarrassment. "I was just shocked at what I saw. You risked your ship being torn apart for the kill shot?"

"Not really Nog!" O'Brian smiled.

"If you'd like, I'll show you how to do that sometime? And how to defend against it in the future" Asami said with a warm smile on her face.


	4. Chapter 4

_Star Trek: The Nara-Maru Files_

_A Deadly Betrayal_

_In the year 2561..._

As a part of her great-grandmother's last request, the young Teela stood before her gathered family as she continued with the story. Although it had taken two hours to get to this point in the story and still stricken with grief over the loss of the matriarch of the family, she knew that she had to continue with her last promise to the elderly woman who had changed their world and helped to create a thriving business empire which had lasted for almost two centuries, one lifespan of an Iolian. Since the year 2379, Asami had been racked with guilt over what had happened and along with the timeline she observed, it had eaten away her every day for the remainder of her life as actions not directly taken by her had almost created the conflict she had fought so hard to avoid, an Iolian war with the Federation and her allies.

_184 Years Earlier__…_

Since the triumphant return to the Alpha Quadrant from the Delta Quadrant by the stricken USS Voyager, Iolian engineers of the Hirayama Family Corporation had been charged with an analysis of the hull armour and Quantum Slipstream Drive retrieved by the now legendary ship and her crew. Elevated to the status of living legends within the Federation, the proud ship herself had been refit and dispatched on a good-will tour of the Federation and her allies with the legendary crew itself.

Awaken slowly by the dawn light peering through the lace curtains of their private bedroom, Asami opened her eyes and stretched out her arms as if to welcome the new day itself as the bedcovers fell away from her body before she gently stepped out of her bed and rolled her shoulders slowly feeling the crisp mountain air on her naked body. For three months she had planning this day and nothing would stand in her way of completing her plans. Her plans where simple, she had already delegated her workload throughout the company she now owned to her brother-in-law and her assistant, while simultaneously delegating her wife's workload to other people within the company. As a surprise for Teela's birthday, she would take her to the one place that she had never visited, a place known to the Federation as '_Wrigley's Pleasure Planet_'. A planet once discovered by Captain James Kirk and his crew where any fantasy is provided for.

After taking a long and much needed shower, Asami pulled on her favourite robe made of Iolian silk before walking into the main living area of their luxurious home. After kissing Teela's cheek, she sat at the table facing her as she spoke with a hint of mischief in her voice.

"So, happy birthday… it makes you now what one hundred and…"

"Be careful!" Teela warned with a wink as she held up one finger.

"I have a little birthday surprise… no work, you and me… we're taking a break somewhere special"

"I can't leave now, I have to much work to do…"

"Come on Teela! Everyone is picking up the slack here… I booked us two weeks on Wrigley's. Private villa, private pool and anything you want… it'll be fun!" Asami said, almost begging.

"I do want to go… unfortunately… we can't! sorry"

"Teela, give me one good reason why not? I've been planning this for months, everything is taken care of. Come on, you… me, no clothes, hot sun… sand and… whatever fantasy you want. Do you have any idea how much this cost?"

"Still a tight ass when it comes to money. One hour ago, I got a call from… Voyager… she's on her way here with her escorts on the final leg of her tour"

"Ohh Come On!" Asami said with a pout. "Voyager, really? Those bastards don't quit!"

"You used to be one of those Bastards, remember? It's been bugging me for months Sam, what do you have against the Federation? You where the loudest voice in the room when we took a vote about joining them"

"Let's just say that I have my reasons and leave it there shall we? When will that ship of the damned arrive?" Asami said with a slight smile.

"Two hours, why?"

"Two hours, it's now 0615, a little meet-and-greet… we could be on our way out of here by late afternoon, it could work" Asami replied with a smile.

"Not to mention, this is a request from my brother, you remember him right? He runs this planet not you?" Teela said, almost boasting.

"He wishes he had my job!" Asami said as she back in her seat. "Alright… I'll set it up. But I want you onboard the Nara-Maru by no less then 1700 hours or I will drag you there by you pointed ears sweetheart!"

"Done and Done. Now, is that all you got me? What about birthday presents?" Teela said with a laugh.

"We only have two hours… I'll be in the bedroom putting it on" Asami said with a wink.

0800 Hours, the same day.

Stood on the command deck of the Expeditionary Force's flagship, Teela and Asami Hirayama waited along side the Regent for the arrival of the guest of honour at the hastily planned ceremony for the arrival of the USS Voyager and her crew. Looking out over the large assembled honour guard fleet, the Regent himself stood tall and proud as he wore his military uniform from his own personal time in the military along with the sash and sword of Office as three brilliant flashes appeared before the large command cruiser and finally, the USS Voyager appeared before them dwarfed by the large Iolian cruisers.

Wearing nothing more then their everyday clothes as not to blend in with the dress uniforms and business suits, the Regent looked back at his two guests as he spoke.

"So seriously, you're wearing that? You do have time to change you know?"

"Shut up! We ran a little… late" Asami said with a wink to her wife.

"Yep! You're luck Sam's dressed for this… you said come as is…"

"I don't want to know ladies. Well, here we go. Open a channel to the Federation fleet" He commanded with pride.

"Yes Regent. Channel is open" Replied a communications officer.

"USS Voyager, on behalf of the Iolian Unity and Iolian expeditionary forces… " He said as he stepped forwards. "… On behalf of my people, I welcome you too our world… Admiral Janeway"

"On behalf of my crew, thank you Mister Regent" Janeway replied as she appeared on the screen before him. "I was hoping that you would be our guests onboard this vessel, we are… eager to meet you and your people"

"Of course. May I introduce my chief of staff, my chief of security, my sister Teela and her wife…"

"Asami?" A voice called out from off the screen. "Excuse me Admiral, if I may?"

With a nod from the admiral, a young man of oriental decent stepped into view behind the helm officer of the ship as Asami's face changed to an instant smile of recognition as she stepped forwards with almost shock echoing over her face.

"Is, is that you?" Asami said with a somewhat embarrassed smile.

"Yes. Wow! I had no idea you where out here" He replied with a fond smile.

"I-umm… yeah, long story" Replied Asami quickly.

"You know the Lieutenant?" Janeway said with a smile.

"Yes ma'am. We grew up together, His parents are a friend of my family, back on Earth. What are you doing on Voyager?"

"With the Admiral's permission?" With a wave from the Admiral, he smiled slightly as he spoke. "I've been working as the Admiral's aide… You have to come onboard!" He said with a laughter in his voice before he turned to the Admiral. "Sam was… the one that got away, so to speak"

"Well then, now that the pleasantries are over… Admiral Janeway, I offer you and your crew the hospitality of our world as our honoured guests" The Regent said with a large smile.

"It would make for a great change Mister Regent, on behalf of my crew, I accept your invitation" Janeway replied with a gracious smile.

"We will transmit co-ordinates to you now" He said as he pointed towards his communications officer. "And we will escort you and your vessels into orbit. I look forwards to meeting you in person Admiral. Regent, out"

As the channel closed, Asami turned back towards the Regent and her wife as Teela stood with her arms folded and a slight frown on her face as she spoke.

"The one that got away?"

"Ohh, that? Yeah! He was in love with me for a long time. Ohh don't pout again… trust me? We grew up together. His family lived a few houses down back in Japan and as the only child my age… we where just kids honey" Asami said as she held her hands. "Jealousy doesn't look good on you Teela… Relax, the guy is an idiot"

"Really? Why are you blushing?" Teela said with a large smile of mischief on her face.

"Am I?"

After arriving in orbit, USS Voyager herself had touched down in the large courtyard of the Regent's Palace itself, leaving little room to spare for anything else while the twin Akira class Starships USS Pioneer and Thunderchild orbited the seemingly distant world as a large reception for the legendary crew had begun. Although each Starfleet and Iolian Officer wore their dress uniforms along with the civilians and honoured guests dressed smartly for the occasion, Asami had refused to bow to tradition for this meeting as she wore what could only be considered as her favourite attire, a long black coat and matching blouse and trousers, standing out in the middle of the brilliantly dressed room like a young child screaming for attention.

Amongst the sea of uniforms, her hands shook nervously as she led her Iolian wife by the hand through the crowd as she found her childhood friend.

"Hiro!" Asami called out with a large smile.

"Sam. I've been looking for you, dressing down as always I see?"

As he extended his hand in greeting, Asami leapt forwards and hugged him tightly as she smiled widely before turning back to Teela.

"Hiro… I'd like you to meet Teela, my wife"

"Your wife?" He called out with shock. "It's a real pleasure Ma'am. Hiro Takagi. This world is… amazing"

"If you say so, I have the best part right here" Teela said with almost jealousy as she wrapped her left arm around Asami's waist firmly.

"Relax Ma'am. I have no desire on your wife…" Hiro said bluntly. "I heard about your mother's passing, I was surprised not to see you at her funeral Asami, we all where"

"We had a… memorial for her here on Iolia and my duties to the Regent would not allow me to leave. One thing Hiro, you lied earlier… you knew that I was here. Let me guess, when you heard about Iolia and Voyager's visit, you researched this planet and my name came up… right?"

"I could never fool you Sam. Your name did come up, many times. Another reason why I asked for this posting" Hiro replied with a slight smile. "I was… sorry to hear that you had left Starfleet… we had a plan"

"A Plan?" Teela replied quickly.

"Hiro was… an instructor at the Academy… when I.. made Chief Engineer, I was going have him assigned to the ship…"

"We said that if neither of us was married before the age 25, we would… umm…"

"No need to feel uncomfortable Hiro" Teela said sharply. "Sam has… a quality about her that makes her irresistible, trust me… I know"

"I know, when I learned that she had joined the Academy, I followed her…"

"Hello? I'm right here" Asami protested with a smile.

Inside her mind, Asami could feel the jealousy rising with in Teela as she took a deep breath and spoke with her abilities. '_Don't be jealous Teela. He's nothing more then an old friend_'.

"Well Hiro, sometime we have to get together. I would love to hear some stories of Asami as a child"

"Ohh, I have thousands Teela, do you mind if I call you that? I have researched your true name, it's very difficult to pronounce"

"I am impressed" Teela said as she extended her hand in greeting.

"I could never say it, but then… Hiro always was the linguist" Asami said with shock.

"Drop by the house this evening, I sense that you wish to discuss something with us both"

"Of course, if you will excuse me ladies, I believe the Admiral wishes a word with me. Teela, nice to meet you. Asami, a pleasure as always"

An uncomfortable silence followed for a moment as Hiro left the two together in a room which, although busy with activity, seemed to be somehow empty as Teela looked at her wife with an almost scowl as she spoke.

"You never told me about that deal, why?"

"When I met you… and we became close, it wasn't important anymore" Asami said, almost begging.

"It was important to him Asami! I could see it, in his mind. He loves you, he always has… and you, you're acting like a child around him"

"I am? S-sorry"

Quickly taking her hand, Asami led Teela into an unoccupied room before she stopped facing her and took a deep breath as she spoke.

"I've don't hide much from you Teela, I love you more then anything. I don't speak about my past much because that is behind me. You are my future, this planet is my home. On a world of telepaths who know everything about everyone instantly… is difficult for me sometimes"

"I can…"

"Please, let me finish? Thank you. Before we got our first assignment, Hiro and I… fooled around a little. We got drunk and made that stupid bargain… I knew that he had feeling for me. You see, he had a plan about commanding his own ship one day, he always had his eye on a Galaxy Class ship, a ship filled with families. It was more of a career move for him and for me. You've seen him, he's attractive. When I found myself on the fast track through the ranks, we made a new deal that he would one day join me on the Admiral's ship and perhaps something would come of it. Mom always thought that we would end up together…"

"Sorry I screwed up her plans" Teela said with anger as a table shook slightly.

"No, no you didn't. Mom was… shocked when she found out about us, but when she got to know you, she loved you. I told her about the bond between us, how happy we made each other… she gave me her blessing in the best way I could ever have imagined. That ring you wear, it has been in my family for 300 years, it was her wedding ring. Before she died, she told me that if I screwed up what we have… I would never be allowed back in my earth home, my family would disown me. My family on Earth and Betazed love you as a daughter and I will fight to the death for you and what we have built here on Iolia together" Asami said as tears rolled down her face.

"What about Hiro, do you love him?"

"Yes, of course I do. But not in that way… he is my oldest friend and one of a few I can count on one hand. YOU! Have given me more then a girl from Japan could have ever have imagined"

"What did you do… with him I mean?" Teela said with almost anger.

"The truth? We kissed and he got my top off before he passed out…"

"You are lying!" Teela growled.

"No, I'm not. I slept on the floor that night… can you not understand that I want you? After everything that we have been through, taking an almost run down business and turning it into small empire, building a house together… making a _LIFE_ Teela, a life with the woman I love…"

"The let me inside your mind, give me your thoughts, let me see for myself" Teela demanded as she looked inside her mind almost forcibly.

"Teela _STOP!_ You're hurting me"

"Stop holding back on me, open your mind!"

Quickly gathering pace between the Iolians and the Voyager crew, the ceremony seemed to last for hours without the involvement of the two women who had made such a meeting possible. As the Voyager crew had sat down for a traditional Iolian meal, the Regent's eyes instantly spotted two empty seats at the vast winding table. What was unknown to the Regent himself as he searched the room for his Sister Teela and her wife was that a large argument between the two had broken out one hour before between the two. Leaving the function early, Asami had quietly slipped away after Teela had albeit called an end to their relationship. Although he could not leave the function itself as Admiral Janeway sat at his side as an honoured guest, he threw caution to the wind after he reached out his mind and felt the discomfort of his own sister, alone in the empty room. Gracefully excusing himself, he stepped away from the table as his aides fired him a disgruntled look before entered the room itself.

The lighting had seemed to shatter along with consoles, the table had been split in half as chairs laid thrown around the room as a faint sound of sobbing could be heard from the corner of the room itself. The uncontrollable grief which echoed through the room had taken him instantly as he walked towards the only shape he cold recognise as he knelt down and spoke.

"Teela? What, what happened?"

"None of your concern. This is private!" Teela sobbed through the darkness.

"Where, where is Sam?"

"She left, she left… it's over between us" Teela said as she wept while she wrapped herself around him tightly.

"What? I-I-I don't believe it"

"Believe it brother. I found out things about her… things that have changed everything between us and… something's that. She won't let me in brother"

"Do you still love her?" He said slowly.

"Of course… but, I can't… let go of…"

"Our Father's Mother died before you where born, they said that… she came from a noble house. That was not the truth… in those days, she was of the 'Lower Class' but he fell in love with her. Laws had been changed and she was allowed to marry her lover, together they bridged the gap between two 'Classes' as your marriage had bridged the gap with the Federation. You have to remember one thing Teela, Sam is half human and humans are very different then we are. What the two of you have, no diplomats could have ever created. Forget this function Teela, find her and talk with her…"

"There are things that you don't know…" Teela said as he sat at her side.

"I know that I have never seen you as happy when she is around you and sad when she is not, her smile lights up the room and your face… do not throw away what you have together my sister. Find her, take her home and spend as much time as you can together, make love to your wife… after all, she is only human and humans make mistakes, they also keep their thoughts close"

"And what about _HIM?!_" She replied with a harsh tone.

"Hiro? He told me about their past and that he is now married with two young daughters. Although he has some… feelings for Asami, he loves his wife. Teela, when it comes to Asami, your judgement has always been clouded… I remember when you first asked my permission to… what is that human term? Ahh yes, Date her. I wanted to say no… but I know that you would have dated her regardless. Find her, be with her… to hell with everything else and remember…"

Before he could complete his sentence, the door to the room opened as Asami ran into the room with a troubled look on her face as she pushed the Regent aside she pulled Teela onto her feet and shook her head before she spoke.

"We have a major problem Teela…"

"Sam… I'm sorry, forgive me?"

"Shut up and listen. I was home when I got a call from Tom, remember Tom? He ordered those ships a few years back? It turned into a major contract? All that aside… there is a new Holo-Suite program circulating around, very adult… and featuring the both of us, it's everywhere by now"

"What?" Teela said as she stood quickly.

"I don't know who, or why… but someone has made an erotic program using you and me as main characters. I… looked at the program, that's why I took so long. Teela, it's disgusting. We need to figure this thing out and we need to talk. I can't do this without you, come with me, please?"


	5. Chapter 5

_Star Trek: The Nara-Maru Files_

_A Deadly Betrayal_

_In the year 2561..._

"It took Asami and Teela three days of tearing the violation which had been the Holo-Suite program apart, piece-by-piece. Keeping the program as secretive as possible and with limited resources, they eventually discovered who was responsible for the program itself as one of the largest court-cases this world had ever seen had been brought against those responsible. A former business partner and more importantly, one who they… before this point, considered as friends. A Ferengi named Quark…"

_184 Years Earlier__…_

Due to the vast distances that they had to travel, a large court-hearing had been held on Deep-Space Nine at the request of the Iolian Royal Court and granted by the United Federation of Planets along with the backing of the Bajoran people.

As the case against their once friend, Quark continued, a segment of the offensive program had been played out before the court itself, much to the embarrassment of the two women themselves. Since the incident with what had been known as '_The Orb of Pleasure_' had amplified Asami's abilities and allowed many within the station to see their most intimate moments in their minds, their personal embarrassment had run deep as they could almost feel all eyes upon them while they sat in the court room.

More of a personal embarrassment had come to light since it had been announced that a large volume of copies had been made and distributed around known space and played out for customers in certain establishments which had catered to adult fantasies. Quickly it had been announced that the program had been developed from a business venture where a holographic representation of the two women had been created for prospective clients of their company, a program which had been duplicated and their physical appearances used for the offensive program itself.

Lasting little more then two hours, the Abettor of Bajoran birth had ruled that the original program be destroyed and all duplicates be returned to the Hirayama Family Corporation for destruction along with a large sum of Gold-Pressed Latinum was to be given to the family itself as reparation for damages. Slowly standing, Teela took a deep breath as she spoke.

"Your Honour… we do not require any payment for damages. However, all copies of stated program must be recalled and given to us… along with the original program. The… Defendant has violated our trust and as a matter of record, will be barred from all contact and business with the Iolian Unity. We can understand the motives for his actions. As stated in article 17, section 31 of Iolian law… of which this court has also vowed to uphold… all… Profits… from said offensive materials must be made in payment to those affected. After discussing this with my… wife…" Teela said with a smile. "All reparations will be given to the Bajoran War-Orphan's Fund…"

"A very generous offer Mrs Hirayama" The Abettor said with a large smile on his face.

"Thank you honoured sir. Quark, your actions have destroyed what could have been a very profitable venture that we where considering handing over to you… we actually liked you Quark. Nevertheless, this action has damaged that venture and as such, you will no longer be considered for future deals with both our Company and those coming from our homeworld…"

"It was only business" Quark said with a half smile.

"Good costumers are as rare as Latinum, treasure them. Isn't that one of your Rules?" Asami said as she stood. "You failed to uphold that rule and as such, you have been barred from any business with us and our world"

"Never place friendship above Profit! Rule 21" He grunted.

"Someday Quark, that day is coming very quickly… you will learn. I expect full payment to be made with the next Bajoran Week. If not… You won't like the alternative"

"Mrs Hirayama, I will not take any threats in my courtroom" The Abettor said quickly.

"No threats meant sir, we speak the truth. As you may be aware of an incident… some years ago on this station itself, we have both been humiliated once too often onboard this station. This, will be the last time we step foot on Deep Space Nine or Bajor… however, if the payment has not been made with the allotted time, my people will be very-very upset… and you do not wish for that Mister Quark!" Asami said slowly and with a scowl on her face.

Without so much as an apology from their former friend, the two took one last walk around the promenade of the old Cardassian Spacestation before they boarded their ship. Leaving the station for the last time with sadness in their hearts. As the docking clamps holding their personal vessel onto the station disengaged, the ship left the station and Bajoran space for the last time as they sat in silence, both of them concentrating on their own consoles. Although in the courtroom, they both displayed the closeness they had always enjoyed with each other, when in private they rarely spoke since the argument which had almost destroyed their relationship since the arrival of the USS Voyager. Had the meeting gone to plan, Asami had her heart set on a brief tour of Voyager's unique designed runabout, the so called '_Delta-Flyer_'. from what she had read, the vessel itself had been specifically designed as an advanced long-range scout-ship and with several unique properties that their company could have used.

"Are we not even going to speak anymore Asami? Do you realise that in those chambers, we had more vocal contact with each other then we did in the entire journey out here?"

"For once Teela, I have nothing to say…"

"Well I do!" Teela said slowly as she turned to face her. "I am sorry about how I acted. I know that you have your own secrets and that you rarely speak of your past. Ironic, I acted out of jealousy… the fear of loosing you and that's exactly what has happened. I don't want to loose you Asami, I love you more then anything in this universe. Sam, I would give up everything for you… our home, our business even this ship. The thought of loosing you is to painful to imagine, when you spoke about Hiro, I just lost control…"

Slipping off of her chair and kneeling facing Teela, she ran her hands over her wife's hands as she spoke.

"Loose me? You're not loosing me. We've just one mom used to call… '_A Speed Bump_' a temporary distraction which has created an argument"

"Really?" Teela said, close to tears.

"Yes! I tell you what, we're still in Federation space… set the auto-pilot and your perfect ass to our quarters… right now. We have a lot of time to make up for" Asami said with a large smile on her face.

"I like the way you think, but why wait? It occurs to me, that we have never really had some… fun… on the bridge!"

Smiling widely, Asami looked up into her eyes as the two kissed with all of the built up lust they had stored since their argument as lust quickly turned into passion between them.

The day had come and gone as the nightshift had taken over at Starfleet command headquarters in one the many large operations centres which had been scattered around the facility. Each large control room had a large display which covered an entire wall and spilled over onto the connecting two walls either side. Each room had been duplicated exactly complete with matching consoles lining the large floor area as between the rooms themselves, they controlled every aspect of the Federation itself and manned by only the most trusted and highly qualified of Starfleet officers in their selected field.

All eight individual rooms, controlled certain areas of the Federation itself along with two back-up rooms, in the unlikely event that one failed.

Sat with his legs up on his console and leaning backwards in his chair, Lieutenant Marshall Ellis Cole had been assigned to the least active of the four rooms, an insignificant region of space nicknamed by those who worked there as '_The Dead-Zone_'. even during the long and costly Dominion War, very little activity had emerged from this room itself as it monitored a region of space deep within Federation territories. Much to Cole's personal humiliation, during the Dominion war, that region of space he monitored had been a low priority for the deadly Dominion, a sparsely populated region of space with only three Federation outposts of low priority had been created seventy years ago, now little more then an embarrassment on his record as supervisor of forty trainees which would eventually move onto monitor more '_Interesting_' areas of space.

Growling to himself once more and much to the enjoyment of those around him, he stood and walked towards the replicator for one more mug of the vital coffee which had kept him awake during his uneventful nights. It was at this point, the trainee crew looked up in a panic as the lighting in the room turned towards a deep red colour and alarm klaxons sounded throughout the room itself.

"What the hell?" He said with a start as he dropped his mug of coffee and watched as it smashed onto the ground below him. "Report?"

"Sir, we have lost contact with number three outpost, number two has gone off-line…" Replied a young Starfleet Cadet.

"Sir! We are receiving an emergency signal from Outpost three… I mean…"

"I know what you mean Mister Watkins… on screen"

In the centre of the map on the large viewscreen, a human male face appeared as explosions ripped through the room in which he stood, recognised as the command centre of the small deep space outpost itself.

"This is Lieutenant Cole at Starfleet Operations, what is your status?"

"We are under attack by two unknown ships… Outpost 243 has been destroyed, our shields are failing. Requesting immediate assistance Starfleet. We are a civilian research outpost with limited defences"

"USS Carbine is responding Lieutenant, they are the closest ship" Replied the young Cadet as she looked up with shock.

"Help is on the way Commander, just hold on. Can you give me a visual of one or both of the attacking ships or perhaps a sensor image?"

"Unfortunately, our sensors can not lock onto their ships… by the time we have a visual lock for weapons they have cloaked…" Called out the frightened Starfleet Officer.

"Hit-and-Run tactics… has any of you seen those vessels before?"

"I know what you are thinking Lieutenant, they are not Romulan… wait a minute, something is decloaking… they have a weapons lock on, Oh My God! Everyone, HOLD ON!"

Powerful explosions ripped through the Operations centre on the screen before the Lieutenant and his team of trainees as a large hole appeared in the Command Centre itself, blowing the entire crew out into space in a terrifying vision before the shocked Lieutenant's own staff. Briefly, the outline of a ship could be seen through the large hole. Stood in deep shock at what he had just witnessed with his own eyes, the small vessel turned towards the screen itself and launched a deadly barrage of torpedoes seemingly directly at them causing a large explosion before the screen changed into static.

"Get Admiral Sovar down here, right NOW!" Cole said with shock.

"Sir, do you realise the time?" Called out a shocked Starfleet Cadet.

"I don't care… get everyone down here. Wake them up personally if you have too"

Two hours later, the usually silent monitoring centre of Starfleet Operations had turned into a crisis centre as the last Federation Outpost was attacked and destroyed using the same tactics as the last two. Declaring an emergency, several Starfleet vessels had been sent into the quiet region of space to search for the vessels which had turned into a deadly foe. Although the only image of one of the attacking vessels had been recovered from the databanks, the image was currently being analysed by Starfleet Tactical Operations for anything which could point to whoever had albeit declared war on the Federation itself.

Relegated to a small section of the command centre by the Vulcan Admiral, Lieutenant Cole observed an assigned sector as an emergency hail crept over his monitored channels. Standing quickly amidst the gathered crowds of senior officers, he attempted to get the attention of the Vulcan Admiral himself by speaking up and eventually yelling the Admiral's name, as he isolated the distress call, he stood and whistled as loud as he could as everyone turned to look in his direction, including an angry Rear Admiral.

"_SHUT UP AND LISTEN!_" He yelled. "I'm picking up a distress call from a freighter, they are under attack by our… Renegade ship"

"What is it Lieutenant?" Replied the angry looking Human Admiral.

"Sir, they have identified one of the ships by name… it's called the Nara-Maru sir…"

"That is impossible" The Vulcan Admiral said stoically. "I am familiar with the Nara-Maru and its operators, they would not attack anyone in such a manner"

"Perhaps sir, the USS Diligent is responding. We have a visual… putting it on the main screen sirs"

Appearing on the large screen before them in addition to several smaller screens on the consoles scattered around the room, a live sensor image feed from the Defiant Class starship filled the screen as it closed on one of the rogue vessels. A sleek black ship could be seen with four warp nacelles in tight formation around the small hull of the ship. Pushing past the officers to get to the front of the gathered group, a grisly looking Starfleet Admiral stopped before the screen in shock as he examined the vessel for himself as his jaw dropped at what he saw.

"This is impossible. Get me the Diligent now!" Yelled the shocked Admiral.

"Yes sir!" Replied an Ensign at his side. "On screen sir"

"This is Admiral House at Starfleet Operations, patch me through to that vessel… NOW!"

Shock turned into a cold dread as the vessel on the screen before him made an almost impossible move to attack the Diligent itself, spinning around on its axis during forward momentum while the main weapons of the vessel fired its deadly volley of torpedoes directly at the Starfleet ship itself, for a brief moment, it seemed to hover in space before thrusting towards the Defiant class ship with all forward weapons firing , collapsing her shields and continuing its deadly barrage of attacks against the failing ships hull. Passing over the small Defiant Class ship, the now rogue vessel kept it's forward weapons on the crippled ship as it repeated the same seemingly impossible move against inertia before the screen faded under the sounds of explosions.

"This is impossible. I know them, I trained Asami myself! She would never do this" House declared as he turned towards those in the room.

"The evidence seems to point at the fact that your former student would do this Admiral" Replied Sovar.

"I don't believe that. Contact the Iolian Government… let me speak with the Regent himself"

"Yes Admiral" Cole said with a nod. "Should I alert the fleet to be on the look out for the Nara-Maru?"

"What was their last reported location, aside from this… attack?" House said once more.

"One moment sir. Accessing the database… four hours ago, they where last reported leaving Deep Space Nine enroute home. Admiral, taking into account the reported maximum velocity of the Nara-Maru, this sector is only one hour away… from their last reported position and time of departure"

"I am well aware of that Mister Cole. Get me Deep Space Nine… clear the room of all none essential officers, those ranked Lieutenant Commander and over may stay. Mister Cole, come with me, Sovar…"

"Aye sir!" Cole said with a nod.

Walking quickly towards a makeshift private office, House and Sovar entered the room as the young Lieutenant stood at attention before what was once his console, now covered with transparent walls and a door which had been created by makeshift holographic technology.

First to appear on the screen before Admiral House was the Regent of Iolia and mere seconds later, in a split screen, Colonel Kira Nerys appeared on the left of the screen. It seemed to last for hours as the arguments passed back and forwards between those in the room and on the screen while the evidence itself had been played out before the two. Shock at what they had seen with their own eyes had gripped the Regent and Colonel while Admiral House spoke with disappointment in his voice at his own words.

"I sympathise Mister Regent, but the evidence itself is overwhelming…"

"This is not possible! Teela would _NOT _Attack Starfleet… Asami has always been the strongest voice in our Alliance, an Alliance that _SHE_ created after her mother's passing beyond the veil!" The Regent said with slight anger in his voice.

"I trained Asami Hirayama myself Mister Regent. I count her as a good and decent friend. Colonel Kira, we have not heard from you on this?"

"Admiral House, during our… War-Games, the Nara-Maru used the same tactic against the Defiant as you know. We have attempted such a tactic in the past against a Klingon ship… it is nearly impossible to perform without causing damage to our own ship, yet they could perform such a move successfully. Regardless, I find it hard to believe that Asami and Teela would use this in anger against Starfleet…"

"Sam was a Starfleet Officer Admiral House, although she has sworn her allegiance to my homeworld Iolia, she would never attack Starfleet… I request permission to send four of our vessels to look for the Nara-Maru…" The Regent said quickly.

"Request Denied! Any attempt to send Iolian vessels into Federation Space will be met by our own ships" Sovar said sharply.

"You do realise Admiral Sovar, they are Iolian citizens… both of them?" The Regent said as he leaned closer to the screen. "I will not allow anyone to attack…"

"Mister Regent. The Nara-Maru will not be harmed in any way. You have my word!" House said, quickly cutting him off. "I will personally take command of this search for that vessel. Colonel Kira, launch the Defiant. The USS Sentinel is currently in orbit, it could take awhile to reach you… but I am on my way. Mister Regent, have your fleet standing by to assist, in the event the Nara-Maru has gone… Rogue. Mister Cole, I am granting you a temporary field promotion to Captain for the duration of this assignment, you are at my side"

"Sir? Umm… Yes sir!" Cole replied with a large on his face.

"Good! Sovar… you will be my eyes and ears back here"

"Yes Admiral. However sir, you do realise that the USS Sentinel has yet to launch. The systems on the vessel have yet to be tested?"

"I know that Sovar however, the Sentinel was designed with Iolian technologies graciously given by our esteemed Iolian allies. Mister Regent, I give you my word… I _WILL_ get to the bottom of this. Starfleet Out!"

For the first time since he took his current assignment, Marshall E. Cole arrived on the bridge of a Starship after five years working in the bowels of Starfleet Command. Wearing the Red Undershirt of Command along with a Temporary Captain's pips on his collar as his eyes instantly fell onto the large seat at the centre of the command deck of the one of a kind Federation Starship. Designed with Iolian Technology integrated into her key systems which included the first generation of Iolian inspired crystalline hull armour and if successful the design would be installed on subsequent vessels yet to be constructed. At his side was the aging Starfleet Admiral House, former instructor and Commandant at Starfleet Academy, in the last years of his service to the Federation he acted mainly as Acting Fleet Admiral in light of the illness of his predecessor and close friend, Fleet Admiral Walter Harrison III.

"Admiral on Deck" Cried out the Security Chief as everyone stood at attention.

"As you where" He said with a nod.

"Admiral, Captain… your transfer orders have been confirmed. Welcome onboard sirs…"

"Thank you Commander. How long before we can launch?"

"We have yet to test the new Warp design at full power sir…" A voice called out from behind them. "… However, after reviewing the orders, I can give you warp six in fifteen minutes. Once the new designs come on line, we can go to maximum warp in five hours"

"That's not good enough Miss…"

"Franklin sir, Lieutenant Commander Valerie Franklin… Chief Engineer" Called out the tall dark haired woman. "It is the best I can give you sir. The new inner-mix ratios have never been fully tested. This ship has yet to leave the system under her own warp power, if the new ratios are off, even by a fraction… let's just say this will be a very short life for this new ship of yours"

"Every minute we wait, that ship could attack another, we have already lost one vessel and three outposts. Ready or not, this ship has to launch in fifteen minutes Commander. Cole, you where an Engineer correct?"

"Yes Admiral" The young Captain replied.

"As your first challenge Captain, get down to Engineering and get this ship ready to launch, Commander Franklin… I expect the both of you to have this vessel ready in time, dismissed"

"Aye… _SIR!_" the Commander replied with anger.


	6. Chapter 6

_Star Trek: The Nara-Maru Files_

_A Deadly Betrayal_

_In the year 2561..._

"… From the reports that Asami had read from the Admiral's own office, Starfleet wanted to declare the two of them as public enemy number one. However, what they didn't know at the time was that the attacks by the duplicate vessel had continued, not against Starfleet but the neighbouring Empires. Two Klingon scout vessels had been attacked and destroyed by the Rogue ship along with a Romulan research station. Someone out there was attempting to destabilise everything that Starfleet had worked for since the end of the Dominion war…"

"Who was it?" Called out the young Teela's cousin, six months her junior.

"I can't say that yet Tabor. However, their troubles had only just begun. After sensor images of the duplicate vessels had been recorded, the Romulans sent their own ships after the Nara-Maru with orders for her destruction. Starfleet Admiral John House had eventually launched his new ship and brought their engines online just in time and entered high warp… meanwhile, completely oblivious to what was happening around them, Asami and Teela where on their way back home…"

_184 Years Earlier__…_

The quiet serenity and isolation of the Nara-Maru's bridge had only encouraged their love for each other as they both slept in each other's arms for the first time since their argument. Covered only with a large blanket from their personal quarters, their serenity was rudely broken by the sound of the communications systems activating and the vessel's defensive systems activating.

Leaping up from the deck plating, the two women leapt into their seats as the hail once again echoed over their bridge speakers.

"Attention Nara-Maru, this is the Federation Starship Longbow. By order of Starfleet Command, you will disengage your engines and come about. Prepare to be boarded"

"What?" Teela yelled.

"Opening channel, audio only…" Asami said with shock. "Longbow, this is the Nara-Maru. What the hell is going on?"

"By order of Starfleet Command, you are both to be placed under arrest for attacks on Starfleet Outposts and Ships. Disengage your engines… _NOW!_" Growled a the female Captain's voice.

"Attacks on… what are you talking about, we haven't attacked anyone. We're in no condition for a fight…" Teela grunted.

"Stand by Longbow…" Closing the channel, Asami looked at her wife in shock as she spoke. "Longbow is an Ambassador Class, she's fast and deadly when angered… Contact Marty, I want to know what the hell is going on. I will not surrender our ship without good reason"

"Already on it. Umm, one thing… don't you think it's a little cold in here?" Teela said with a smile.

"What? Ohh… Shit! I forgot. I'll take care of the Longbow, get dressed then speak with your brother, although I've always loved you dressed like that" Asami said with a smile.

"I'm not… Ohh!"

"I especially love the spots… very erotic. Attention Longbow, negative on surrender. What is your name Captain?"

"I am Captain Elizabeth Monroe… I believe you may know that name Sam?"

"Lizzie? Oh my god!… We where friends at the Academy. My first year, her last… Lizzie, what the hell is going on?"

"Allow me to come onboard your vessel with my Chief of Security, I will explain everything Sam, I promise"

"And what assurances do I have that you will not simply beam over a squad of security officers Lizzie?" Asami said as she pulled on her trousers.

"You need to trust me… We've recently received word that the Romulans and Klingons are on the lookout for you. Sam, I don't believe what they you have done out here… I can protect you both. Let me come onboard so we can talk?"

"What the hell is going on?" Asami said with shock. "I'll contact the Klingons myself, I have some friends in the Empire"

Pulling on her shirt, she instantly activated the viewscreen as she sat down in her own seat as Teela walked towards one of the consoles around the bridge to make the call back to her home world. On the forwards viewscreen, the Captain of the Longbow stood from her seat and walked the helm of her vessel as she looked around the Nara-Maru's bridge with a slight smile on her face.

"Impressive ship Sam, perhaps you should close your shirt though. We really need to talk Sam, this is Commander Gosset, he's my chief of security. I give you my word that we will come on board unarmed"

"I'm sorry Lizzie, I can't do that. This ship is private property… and I'm excursing Teela's rights as heir to the throne of Iolia. The Nara-Maru is a Diplomatic ship returning home after a meeting on Deep Space Nine…"

Inside her mind, she could hear Teela almost laughing as she spoke with her telepathic abilities. '_Let's hope she doesn't know I gave up that right Sam_'

"Now, as a diplomatic vessel in Federation space, you will escort us safely to Federation boarders. I trust that your vessel can match our top speeds?"

"Sam, don't do this… I have my orders. I respect you and what you have achieved since you left Starfleet, I do have authorisation to use force if needed. I will cripple your ship and drag you to the nearest Starbase if necessary!" The Starfleet Captain replied slowly with regret.

"Then we have a problem Captain Monroe, I'm sorry. Nara-Maru out!"

"Sam don't do this…" Protested the Captain as the screen shut down.

"Babe, what's going on. Please tell me you have something?"

"Unfortunately, I do. Transferring call to the main screen" Teela said with regret.

"Sam, thank god… it looks like you have been set up by someone. Starfleet has dispatched every ship in the region to your location. Admiral House has taken command of the Sentinel and is on his way right now, the Defiant is also on the lookout for you along with every major power in the quadrant. Someone out there is attacking ships and outposts with a similar ship to yours. We've analysed the power and weapons signatures, it's identical to yours" Marty said quickly over the main screen.

"What is the last known location of the bastards Marty?"

"I'm sending you all we have on a secured channel now Ladies… what are you planning on doing?" Replied the Regent with a worried look on his face.

"With an Ambassador Class starship up our ass… nothing yet, afterwards… It's best that you don't know Marty. If this goes badly for us… we're leaving the company to you, take care of it. All the paperwork is in my desk back home"

"Asami, what are you thinking?" Teela said with a worried look on her face.

"Teela, if you want. I could beam you over to the Starship…"

"Not a chance, we're in this together. How dare you ask me that?" Teela replied angrily.

"Marty, we'll contact you as soon as we can… I hope"

"My the ancestors guide you both. Iolia out"

Leaning backwards in her seat slightly, Asami took a deep breath as she continued to evade the Starship behind them. Programming the auto-pilot with an unusual evasive program. Asami instantly turned to the section of the console on her left as she reprogrammed the console for something completely different as Teela looked over her shoulder.

"What are you doing?"

"Last year, during the war-games, I spent some time with O'Brian in the forward launcher, during which time his mind continued to run back to an encounter with a former commanding officer of his when he served on the Enterprise, his thoughts where strong and I couldn't help but hear them. He was able beam through a very small window in their shields during a cycle. It peaked my interest, if I program this just right… I can… got it! Erect a level four force field around the centre-seat…"

"If you're planning what I think… this will only get us into more trouble with the Federation and Starfleet" Teela said with a large smile on her face.

"We're innocent, remember? All I'm guilty of is… well, trust me?"

"Always. Should I… grab a weapon Sam?"

"No… I have a lock, energising. Stand by on the cloak sweetheart, this is going to get rough"

Springing into life the force field activated around the seat at the centre, used primarily for guests or clients who wanted to observe one of their ships in action. Almost instantly the onboard ships computer detected the opening Asami had programmed it for and a transporter beam sprang into life as the Starship Captain materialised in the seat itself. Looking around with shock, she leapt onto her feet as Asami stood quickly.

"Take it easy Lizzie, We've erected a force field around the seat… you said you wanted to come onboard"

"How the hell did you do that?" Replied the Captain in a slight panic.

"Take it easy, you won't be harmed. Teela, now!"

"The cloak is active, I'm altering course away from the Longbow"

"Do you have any idea how much trouble you are in now? Abducting a Starfleet Captain is…"

"I thought that we could talk, face-to-face Lizzie" Asami said as she stepped forwards with her hands raised. "Now, calm down and I'll deactivate the force field… we haven't done anything wrong Lizzie. We left DS9 for home, the next thing we know, you are on our tail. We've contacted home, we know what's happening. The Regent has sent us everything they have on the situation, I will set our personal database to analyse the data, we have energy readouts of all vessels we have sold in the past…"

"Return me to my ship Mrs Hirayama, _NOW!_ and I will forget about this abduction" Demanded the Starfleet Captain.

"I can't do that just yet… you have the finest analytical mind I have ever seen. Help us and I'll guarantee your safety and safe passage back to your ship…"

"And if I don't?" Said Monroe, almost fearing the reply.

"You'll be safe. We'll drop you off at the nearest Starbase or Federation ship we come across. Computer, deactivate force field around the centre seat. Lizzie, we're trusting you. Now it's your turn to trust us!" Asami said as she held out her hand slowly.

"I guess that I have no choice in the matter. Let me contact my ship and inform them of what's happening?"

"We can't do that Captain" Teela said harshly.

"If you want my help, that is the only condition"

"Teela, open a channel to the Longbow… I trust her" Asami said as she nodded slightly.

Stepping down from the Centre Seat, the captain looked around the bridge and nodded slightly as she walked towards the main screen as the bridge of her ship came into view along with an angered and shocked bridge crew.

"Captain?"

"Relax John I'm fine. I've had a chance to speak with Asami and Teela and they have given me their assurances that I am safe…"

"What do they want?" Replied the angry first officer.

"They want my help in clearing their name. They have access to information that we do not and I think it could help"

"What are your orders Captain? We can not allow Starfleet Officers to be abducted from…"

"Excuse me First Officer, I once worked along side your Captain during my first assignment for Starfleet. During her last year at the Academy, we where friends. I give you my word that she will not be harmed in any way, she is a guest onboard this ship and will treated as such. I will personally send you reports at regular intervals on our progress, just do us a favour and stay out of our way…"

"Asami is correct Johnny. Inform Starfleet Command that we have made contact with the Nara-Maru and that I am assisting them with the investigation, next contact will be made in three hours. Monroe out!"

As the screen went blank, Asami stepped in front of the captain with a slight smile on her face as she spoke.

"You're involved with him, aren't you?"

"You know that is against regulations Sam" Monroe said hesitantly.

"I know, I can see it in your eyes Lizzie I'm also telepathic, remember. How long has this been going on for?"

"Three months. I could never hide anything from you Sam" She replied turning a deep shade of red.

"You do realise that if Starfleet finds out, it would mean the end of your career and his?" Replied Teela.

"I do. We've been on Deep Space assignment for over a year now, we got close over the past year and… it just happened one night while we where both off-duty"

"I'm perhaps the last person in the universe to give you advice on relationships Lizzie. Teela and I where friends for awhile before our relationship evolved into what we both have today. Just, be careful Lizzie… now, to put your mind to work. Computer, access the personal database and display on console three, also… bring up the Starfleet Standard Controls for our guest, level two clearance only"

"You don't trust me Sam?" Monroe replied with a smile.

"No, I don't. the computer has already accessed the helm and has set course. You will be monitored by internal sensors for the duration of your stay. I'll have the guest quarters ready for you"

"Thank you and thanks for your honesty" She nodded as she walked towards the console.

"Ohh, I feel that I should mention, this ship runs on Iolian time… you might want to get some coffee, days are long here. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need a shower… Teela are you coming?"

Seeing the strange young girl she had once befriended at the Academy comfortable with her new life was enjoyable for the Starfleet Captain, although her choice of lovers was not she had imagined. At the academy Asami was shy and awkward, yet she had always had a spark that had peaked her interest somehow perhaps in someway Asami reminded her of herself during her first year. Befriending her almost instantly, she had taken her under her wing after recognising her brilliant young mind and finally even taking the unusual task of bringing the young woman into her study group along with those in her own classes.

After leaving the academy itself, the two had remained in contact as eventually, Asami had taken the position on the starship that Elizabeth had been assigned as relief Operations officer.

After showering and dressing, Teela left Asami alone in their quarters as they took turns to monitor their guest. Although an Iolian could survive for several days without sleep, Teela had adopted her wife's sleeping pattern as her own and even on occasion spent the whole night lay next to her as she slept.

After opening the spare quarters to their guest Teela made her way towards the small room which had once held several members of the crew, now little more then a Messhall for their daily lives onboard the ship itself. As she entered, their guest was sat at one of the two tables in the room with Iolian tablets scattered around the table itself, each containing different data.

"I am disturbing you?" Teela said politely.

"Not at all… this is your ship after all. Please, take a seat. This coffee is amazing, what is it called?"

"Cana'Ra. It is from my homeworld. Just be careful, humans sometimes have a reaction to it's strength" Teela said as she poured herself a cup from the container at her side.

"Your ship is impressive Mrs Hirayama…"

"Call me Teela, may I call you Lizzie?"

"If you wish. I was surprised when I read the profile on this vessel, a former Federation Starship converted into a freighter? It's unusual"

"Very little of the original design remains now, even the exterior has been rebuilt several times. By this point, she is practically a new vessel. I believe that only the deck plating in the transporter room is from the original design. Everything else has been redesigned or removed" Teela said with pride in what had become her own personal vessel. "You knew Sam at the Academy? She doesn't speak much about those days. What was she like?"

"Unusual but brilliant. Unlike most '_Starfleet Brats_' as we call them, her childhood years where spent either her Betazoid family's home, her human Family home on Earth or Starfleet Command. Her mother trained her to become a Starfleet Officer and commander of her own ship one day, but all she ever wanted to be was an engineer like her father. She used to hang around the landing bays at Command, on occasion she would slip onboard the Shuttles, Runabouts and smaller ships… when I first met her, I was amazed at how much she knew about Starship Engineering, especially for a first year Cadet…" Monroe said with fond memories.

"How did you meet? I was under the impression that upper and lower classes don't mix much"

"On occasion, this one was different. She must have finished her classes early. She slipped into one of the last year lectures on Warp Field Mechanics, she used three other uniforms to add cadet year pins on her tunic to enter un-noticed and sat in the middle of the lecture hall. About half way through, she began to debate with the instructor on his theories about a new warp field… no matter how much he tried, he couldn't shut her up… at every turn, she pocked holes in his ideas right down to the calibration of the injectors. I saw potential in her, and I could see where she was going with her arguments and joined in with the debate. When the class was dismissed, this… tiny little Asian girl walked up to the front of the hall itself and challenged him once again. The instructor, a twenty year Starfleet Engineer was furious with her for what he called… her arrogance. But she was right, his calculations where off…"

"Something I noticed awhile back, Sam always had a natural feel for Engineering" Teela said with pride.

"I know, we became friends shortly after and when I left the Academy, we kept in touch… until she took the assignment on the same ship as me. Being short and younger then most graduates, along with her new rank of Junior Lieutenant she became a target for the ship pranksters, the Chief Engineer some of his staff and a few Helm Officers. They tried to haze her, nothing major… somehow she saw through their pranks and ignored them until one day, the engineering team where running a simulation of a warp core breach, her uniform had been treated to dissolve when in contact with a certain… harmless gas which would be vented from a canister on the core itself. Asami knew of the prank and got in there first, she changed her uniform before hand, but… she piped a certain… gas through the engine room near the Chief's station and once the gas was released and with all eyes on her she carried out her duty as normal. When the gas cleared, all of those who had plotted the prank against her… well, their uniforms had dissolved. She spent three days in the brig for that prank… but they never targeted her again"

Laughing slightly, Teela took a sip from her drink before she spoke.

"No one knew of her… telepathic abilities even then?"

"No! she was listed as half Betazoid, but always kept the true extent of her abilities silent. May I ask you a personal question?" Monroe said carefully.

"Of course"

"You and Asami are… Married, correct?"

"Yes. Does that disturb you?" Teela replied with a sigh. "It is my experience that some… humans find our relationship… unusual"

"No. Some of my crew have same sex relationships and Asami is a fascinating young woman. What I wanted to ask was… You are Iolian, I understand that your people have embraced their sexuality, yet your species has continued to thrive and expand despite fully one half of your species in these relationships"

"I see what you mean, it wasn't always that way, five thousand years ago… our species was on the verge of extinction, the birth rate had dropped and something had to be done for our future. Our best and brightest scientist where called in to change this as we could not ask those who had chosen their partners based on falling birth rates. They quickly found that it would be possible to create an infant from two male or two female partners, although the procedure was expensive. On occasion, a three or four parent family had evolved. Not too long ago, in an Iolian lifespan I mean… we turned our attention to cloning, created from two same sex partners"

"Interesting… may I ask, have you considered that option?" Monroe said carefully once again.

"We have and unfortunately, Asami's human half is incompatible with my Iolian DNA. Adoption cold be our only answer"

Spending the evening in the messhall with the Starfleet Captain, they had both exchanged stories about their command friend Asami while they both looked over the many files before them. In the late hours of the night, something had caught Teela's attention in the files as she slowly took another sip of her drink and sighed deeply.

"What is it?"

"Shit! I think I know what's going on. Someone, I don't know who is systematically attacking certain areas that we have visited, Outposts, vessels and… Ohh HELL!"

"What is it Teela?" Called out a voice from behind her as Asami entered.

"Rempak! If I'm right… that should be the next target"

"By whom?"

"I don't know… these energy readouts from the attacking ship is close, but the phase variance is off. It will take some time to unwrap this one" Teela said as slight anger. "Computer, set course for Rempak Station, maximum warp"

"We should contact the Longbow ladies, she can…"

"Sorry Lizzie, Longbow is a Starfleet ship… Rempak is close to Romulan space, I don't want to expose them. I have an idea though, Sam… contact my brother, have him dispatch two cruisers to Rempak… maximum warp"

"Honey, any Iolian cruisers enter Federation space at the moment, could be considered as an act of war against the Federation. That is something I will not allow… I'll contact Chancellor Martok personally, I think it's time we spoke with him about this"


	7. Chapter 7

_Star Trek: The Nara-Maru Files_

_A Deadly Betrayal_

_In the year 2561..._

"After two weeks on the run from the authorities, time had begun to grow short for Asami and Teela as the first officer of the USS Longbow had contacted Starfleet Command and apprised them of the situation, however Starfleet command had seen their actions as an abduction of a Starfleet Officer and ordered their immediate arrest on what was becoming a very long list of charges against them. The Romulans had dispatched three D'deridex Class ships to search for them and on one occasion, they had actually been discovered crossing Romulan space…"

"I heard about this" Kaila said with a half smile.

"I don't doubt that you had Grandmother, but you where never told the whole story. The Romulans must have guessed the next target of the renegade ship and sent a heavy force into that region, the Klingons had been made aware of that by Asami herself and after pleading their innocence to the High Council, they asked for an escort through Romulan Space and the Klingon had agreed, they sent four heavily armed ships as escort… it was at this point, things went very badly for them"

"Their cloak failed" Kaila said slowly.

"Yes, their ship had been due for a full maintenance sweep before they launched… however, things had gotten out of control with the holographic program created by the Ferengi. With no ships available at the time, they had no choice but to take the Nara-Maru which by this time was starting to show its age. Somehow, they managed to convince the Romulans and Klingons to cease fire although the Nara-Maru itself was badly damaged with one Warp Nacelle destroyed and one badly damaged by Romulan fire, they had no choice but to shut down the second warp core and run on one engine which was… less then perfect by this time…"

_184 Years Earlier__…_

Explosions tore through the heavily damaged private ship as several areas had been vented into space along with Asami and Teela's own personal quarters, running on auxiliary power only the tiny ship had placed themselves between the two fleets of the great powers while consoles continued to explode throughout the ship itself as Teela and Captain Monroe gave everything they could to bring the fires burning within the ship under control.

"I say again, Cease Firing!" Asami yelled over the communications channel above the explosions tearing her ship apart.

"Sam, we have to abandon ship…"

"NO! I will not leave her like this Liz! Get those damned fires under control. Nara-Maru to Romulan and Klingon ships, stop your damned shooting each other, this is exactly what those bastards want, are you too stupid to see that?

"Warning! Sensors have detected a vessel on approach" Called out the computer.

"What ship?" Monroe yelled.

"Sensors are badly damaged. Lizzie, remember your K-M test?" Asami said with a large sigh.

"I do… NO!"

"What? What are you talking about? Sam, what does that mean?"

"I'm holding you… personally responsible for her safety Lizzie. Clear our names" Asami said with tears in her eyes.

"Sam _NO!_ Don't you dare…"

"Teela, I'm sorry. The last duty… of a Captain"

As Asami turned her back on the two of them, tears rolled down her face as Teela screamed and ran towards her wife, mere inches away from her, Teela and Captain Monroe disappeared in a Transporter haze only to materialise on the bridge of a Federation starship commanded by the Admiral she once met.

"_GET A LOCK ON HER, BEAM HER OVER!_" Demanded Teela.

"Sir, it's too late… the Nara-Maru's warp core is breaching" Replied the helm officer. "Both fleets are backing away…"

"Get her over here, please?" Teela said as tears rolled down her face.

"I'm sorry Teela. Helm… back us away, get us to a safe distance"

Backing away at full impulse power, the prototype USS Sentinel backed away as explosions tore through the tiny black ship before it exploded, sending debris in all directions as a harrowing scream had been let loose from Teela's lips before she collapsed onto the floor as Security officers stood at her side with their weapons drawn. Standing tall and proud past her own grief, Captain Monroe stepped between them as she spoke with a deep anger.

"Put those damned things away, _NOW!_"

"Sir?" Called out one of the Officers.

"Do as the Captain says Commander. Teela, Teela can you hear me. Where is Asami?" He said as he crouched beside her.

"Sam was… onboard Sir. She beamed us both out before… what she called her last duty"

"What? Scan the debris field, look for any sign of… force fields or shuttlecraft" House called out with a slight smile.

"Sir! No one could survive a warp core breach!" The Science Officer cried out.

"Trust me. Please… escort our guests to sickbay. Give them whatever they need… then, assign them some quarters"

"Admiral, Starfleet orders are…"

"To HELL with Starfleet orders Lieutenant. I _AM_ Starfleet out here…" House called out with a deep growl. "Found anything yet?"

"Nothing sir, just debris and background radiation"

"Admiral, the Romulan and Klingon fleets are hailing us"

"Keep looking Science Officer. Comms, take a message…"

_In the year 2561..._

"No one could survive a Warp core breach Teela!" Called out her older sister.

"Yet we all know, that somehow… she did" Kaila said with a smile. "I've never heard this part. Continue"

"Admiral House was relying on something that Asami once submitted to Starfleet Tactical, a new shield design that could, in theory… protect a person or small shuttle… for a brief time at least, against the violence of a Warp Core breach. After awhile and with pressure from the Klingon and Romulan fleets, he gave up his search and officially declared Asami as lost. Deep down, he knew that Asami would never attack Starfleet or those she had considered as her friends and even allies. On many occasions she had gone against Starfleet and gave everything she could to… tighten the gap between the three powers who where once at each other's throats. Although his next task was… difficult. He had to inform Teela of Asami's death. Classified Medical and Security records stated that Teela lost control of her abilities, she put twenty-two Starfleet Officers in Sickbay, including the Admiral himself before she regained control of herself" The young woman said slowly.

"She was… powerful. Sometimes, I was afraid to be around her" Kaila said in reply.

"She loved you Kaila, more then anything. I know that you fought on occasion, but she had always valued that about you. Shortly after, the USS Sentinel arrived at Rempak only to find desolation and complete destruction of the facility which only an armada of ships could do. And It wasn't long after seeing the destruction that Teela did the one thing that she swore she would never do again…"

_184 Years Earlier…_

Large pieces of debris floated in all directions as the long and slender USS Sentinel hung motionless close by while it's sensors ran a full scan of the area checking ever piece of wreckage for any survivors or a clue to who could have attacked the station itself. Originally constructed from two former Starfleet deep space stations, it had grown into a metropolis with thousands of people passing through each day, now little more then a pile of rubble and debris covering a large area of space. Although once confined to the brig onboard the ship, Teela's knowledge and experience with the region of space itself had called her onto the bridge as an observer and guide through the region as she fought with her own grief while attempting to keep her own abilities under control.

"Captain Cole? Sensors have detected what appears to be life signs in one of the large sections of debris sir" Called out the Science officer.

"Move us into position Helm, Commander… Alert sickbay, we have found survivors"

"Aye sir!" Grunted the anger communications officer.

"They don't respect you because you are only a child to them… Captain. Show your authority" Teela whispered into the young man's ear.

"Thank you! Is there a problem with my orders Lieutenant Commander?" Called out the young officer forcefully.

"No sir. Yes sir, we all know that you only got this posting because of your discoveries back at Starfleet Command. I checked you Starfleet Record… Lieutenant!" The Communications officer grunted.

"Hey, I didn't ask for this posting. Now, for the moment at least… I carry this rank and you will do as I say otherwise I shall have you relieved of duty. Mrs Hirayama, please accompany me to Sickbay… you maybe able to identify the survivor. Captain Monroe, please assume the Con!"

Leaving the bridge under the almost deadly glares of the Sentinel Crew, Teela could hear their thoughts as stopped at the turbolift and turned back as she spoke to each of them in their minds at the same time. '_Try it! I promise you that none of you will survive the attempt on my life… neither will this ship!_'.

Entering the highly advanced Sickbay on the Starship, Teela once again felt terrible after the accidental attack again the Admiral and his men as her grief overtook her after the death of her wife and her abilities grew out of control. Seeing the only new patient in Sickbay, Teela walked the man as her face let loose a sigh of relief as she saw the unusual Ferengi/Hybrid bar owner she knew as Nino.

"Nino? Ohh that god… are you okay?"

"Teela? That is you… after all of this time? Nino is relieved you are safe" The unusual hybrid-alien said slowly. "Where…is the one named Asami?"

"Sam is… Sam is dead Nino. The Nara-Maru had suffered a warp-core breach, she saved my life at her own expense" Teela said slowly, close to tears.

"No, no… not possible. These attacks which are blamed on you, I have been… looking into it…" He said with pride.

"Wait, you have? You know what is going on… why are they framing us Nino… why?"

"Heard about them, we… have… contacts that your Starfleet does not Starfleet Captain. Grilk could not believe that you are… killing, so together… we looked into it…"

"Why are they framing us Nino?" Teela repeated once more.

"Hear me, and you will see. Shortly after, they found us… and made contact over voice only. He sounded, human. He… warned us not to continue. Days later, a… Bajoran came to Nino's asking for shipping business, special… shipping business"

"You mean… he wanted us?" Teela said with her anger building.

"No Teela, He wanted… Asami only. His… employer, wanted Asami for… long-overdue business deal"

"If you are lying to me Nino… there will not be a place in this universe you can hide from me" Growled the dangerous telepath as she looked deep inside his mind. "… He is… telling the truth. Who was the voice Nino, did he give a name?… Jason, his name was Jason… Hartman"

"Do you know the name Teela?" A voice called out from the next Bio-bed, the voice of the Admiral.

"No, but the voice is… familiar somehow… I can hear it from his memories. Do not fight me Nino, do not fight me on this… They wanted Asami, they must have had a plan somehow… what is it?" Teela said as she pushed deeper inside his alien mind. "What is it?"

"_I DON'T KNOW!_" Nino screamed in pain.

_In the year 2561..._

Stood before her vast family, the almost mirror image of Teela continued with the story as the shocked group continued to listen with interest. Although it was clear that Asami did not die during that time and the Nara-Maru still existed in the Hirayama family museum outside the capital city what was once the hanger bay for the vessel itself before the family home had been built. Taking a sip of the drink in her hands, the young Teela continued with her story slowly.

"Teela had done the one thing that she most feared, entering the chaotic mind of the hybrid alien creature Nino an unusual hybrid of Ferengi, Cardassian and a species no one had yet to identify, his mind was chaotic and twisted, but at the time, needs must prevail. Shortly after, Admiral House had been discharged from the sickbay under supervision and he knew that something else was at stake as more survivors had been rescued and the ship had begun to fill up fast with the sick and wounded almost to the point where Starfleet had dispatched three medical ships into the area for relief efforts, each vessel under escort from either Klingon or even Romulan ships. During this time however, the situation had been reported back to Starfleet Command along with all evidence collected so far and all charges where dropped against Teela and Asami only know, they had the problem of locating those responsible for the deadly and cowardly attacks. Remaining in constant contact with her homeworld, something unusual had happened between Teela and her brother, the Regent as for the duration of the mission of locating the renegade ship, Teela had been reactivated within the Iolian Military and promoted instantly to the rank of Supreme High-Commander of the Iolian Forces, a rank which did not officially exist until that specific moment…"

"The rank does exists Daughter" Teela's mother said slowly.

"Yes Mother, now it does. However back in that time, the rank did not exist. Now, Supreme High-Commander of the Iolian Forces has the ear of the Regent him or herself, they carry out the orders of the Regent when it does not flow through the regular channels. However, being given that rank allowed Teela more flexibility then she would have had as civilian. Instantly, news of Asami's death had been classified beyond top-secret along with her next play with her new rank, Instantly and as the new representative of the Iolian Military onboard the Federation Starship, she demanded Starfleet's assistance in capturing those responsible. Although at first, the Admiral refused, it became clear that Teela would not settle for an answer other then yes and with over 25% of the USS Sentinel based on Iolian Technology, Starfleet Admiral House had no choice but to co-operate… especially as many of the Engineers onboard where Iolian and now under her direct command…"

"She never told me about this, why would she have kept this secret for so long?" Kaila said with shock.

"It was all classified beyond top secret, many of the official files here on Iolia where destroyed 100 years ago, all that remain of this incident is in the private achieves here on Iolia" The young Teela Sais lowly.

"Why was it so heavily classified, what else are you not telling us?" Kaila said with interest.

"You are correct Grandmother, something else happened, something that not even Starfleet or their allies knew about, something which had been hidden in plain sight since that day and all of those concerned, sworn to secrecy. You see, what Teela didn't know at the time was Asami did not die onboard the Nara-Maru as they thought, she was transported away from the ship at the last moment… and that's when things started to take a turn for the worst for her…"

_184 Years Earlier__…_

Pain tore through Asami's mind as she slowly regained consciousness while she felt herself lay on a cold hard metallic surface. Half expecting herself to once again awaken in a different time and place with yet another strange story about altering the timeline, only this time as her senses returned to her, something was different. Along with the intense pain at the base of her skull was an unusual silence, not from the room she was in, as she could hear the constant hum of a vessel's engine and computer core. What was missing however, was the ever present rumble of the thoughts of others around her, if indeed she was on a vessel of some kind, those thoughts would be as ever present as the ambient sounds around her.

Slowly sliding her legs off of the metallic surface in the dark room, she carefully found the floor as she stood in absolute darkness until the doors before her slide open and a large male form stood in the doorway with a weapon drawn as the light slammed into her eyes causing her more pain.

"YOU! Come with me" The figure said before he grabbed her long dark hair in his fist and dragged her behind him.

Struggling to keep her feet on the deck beneath her as pain tore through her body, she grabbed the hands of the large male in attempt to release his grip as for a moment, she recognised her surroundings. Entering what appeared to be the port-side cabin of an Archer-Nara class vessel she caught a quick glimpse of the command deck from the corner of her eye before she was physically thrown into the quarters itself by the large Orion male who had been dragging her.

Sliding across the floor, she stopped and rolled to gain her balance and take in her surroundings in case a swift escape was needed, it didn't take long before a familiar voice called out from the open doorway as the Orion stepped away.

"I have been looking forwards to this moment for a very long time Asami…" Shock rippled over her face as a human male stood before her with a large smile. "What's the matter, cat caught you tongue? Speaking of which, I was hoping to have you both… but, I guess I can settle for one, plan B it is"

"Tom?" She said as she slowly stood before him. "What-what are you doing?"

"My name… is not Tom Byrd, it's Hartman. Ohh, don't tell you don't recognise the name? try this one then… Lieutenant Sara Hartman, Assistant Engineer on the USS Washington"

"Sara?" She said with shock.

"So you do remember her, the woman you killed with your inept piloting… my wife!"

"Jason… Hartman? Then… why all of this? _YOU_ have been attacking these Outposts and ships, just to get to me?" She said with deep shock and hatred.

"Don't be so vain. Some of it… perhaps. When you left Starfleet, I spent years looking for you and that is when I came across that little Hologram you and Teela made… how nice of you to give me your address like you did. Well, with everything set up I whispered into the right ears about the military games with you and your ship. Imagine my surprise when you timed our meeting along side your war games? But the time wasn't right… it wasn't enough to just simply kill you as you killed her, my wife" He said with a deep anger. "I want you to suffer. I studied your tactics for months with the ships that you built for us, how nice of you… thank you, they are most effective weapons. Then, it was simply a matter of time. You where to heavily protected on Iolia, luckily, I had a back-up plan underway all this time"

"The… Holo-Program, that was YOU?" Asami growled.

"My backing, yes… you see. When you took her from me, she was close to leaving the fleet and joining me on Orion. We had a plan to raise a family… and our business would be run with us both, like you do. But you took that away from me" Hartman growled as he walked around the room slowly. "Anyway, that's why I informed you of the program. What you didn't know was last year, one of my… business associates had slipped onboard your ship and hidden a transponder on your bridge when Mister O'Brian had… used the facilities. We've been tracking you for almost a year, but you never left your home system. So I had to draw you out… get you and your wife into open space…"

"So what are you going to do now, kill me?" Asami growled deeply.

"No. I can see that you are having some… difficulties Asami, that is the neural suppressant I have given you, since we don't know the full extent of your telepathic abilities are our your connection with Teela so we thought it was safer to just shut them down completely…"

"Then what are you going to do with me, let me guess… sell me as one of your Slaves? I will find you and Kill you Tom, Jason… whatever your name is. If I don't… Teela and the Iolian Military will hunt you down and what they will do to you, will be far worse then anything I can think of" She said slowly.

"Charming isn't she? Mister Thelev, please escort my guest here to her quarters. Ohh and Thelev, be careful with her, she is very valuable and not to be trusted"

"As you wish Master Jason" The large Orion male said with a half bow of respect.

"Bought yourself a slave did you?…" She replied with a deep anger.

"One? No my dear… I own thousands an entire trade"

Stepping into the room, the large Orion male stood menacing between the tiny human-Hybrid female with his fists clenched. Rolling her eyes slightly, she sprinted towards the large green man and slid across the floor beneath him before she punched upwards with all of the power she could muster between his large powerful legs as he roared in pain and fell to the deck hard. Leaping onto her feet, she ran the short distance to the transporter bay while Jason laughed slightly as he held up his hand, letting her go.

As she passed the opening to the bridge, she caught a glimpse of what appeared to be a Federation Starship. Reaching the controls, she accessed the system using her own command codes, a safety protocol she and Teela had input into each of their class of ships in the event of one being turned against them or the Iolian Military itself. Setting a brief countdown, Asami stepped towards the platform as a searing hot pain shot through the base of her skull as her legs buckled under the intense pain. Curled in a ball on the deck inches from safety, she screamed in pain as footsteps echoed through the transporter bay as her captor walked towards her and knelt down inches from her.

"Hurts like hell, doesn't it?" He bragged.

"What the hell have you done to me?" She wept in pain.

"Ohh nothing much. Just a little something I picked up on a Dead World a few years back. It's an implant at the base of your skull, it was used for the transport of prisoners by a highly advanced and less moral alien race a millennia ago. You see my dear, that was just a warning… if you go to far from the control system… this little bracelet on my wrist here… the device in your head will… explode. I would much rather that did not happen, it makes an awful mess"

"I'll kill you" She said as the pain slipped away.

"Perhaps, but not today. Mister Thelev, place our… guest in her cabin. Unharmed if you don't mind" He said as the alien limped into the transporter room.

Standing before her, the large green alien male grabbed her left leg and dragged her out of the room as she once again screamed with anger. Smiling to himself, Jason stepped to the transporter control column with a smile as he spoke.

"I always wandered about this. Thank you Asami, now I have your command codes for your own personal fleet, we can begin against our target. Thelev, contact the fleet and inform them to converge on the Sentinel… we have a go"

"Yes, My Lord" Relied the large Orion male as he dragged the prisoner away from the transporter bay.


	8. Chapter 8

_Star Trek: The Nara-Maru Files_

_A Deadly Betrayal_

_In the year 2377..._

Betrayed on one of the most personal of levels by the human male she had once known as Tom Byrd, Asami Hirayama had become a prisoner on one of her own vessels which had been specifically built and modified by her own company for the man she once thought of a personal friend, now it had become clear that everything he had said since their friendship had begun over a year ago had been designed specifically to exact a deadly revenge on her for something that was clearly not her fault, the death of one of her few friends onboard the Federation Starship Washington, Lieutenant Sara Hartman. For years, the guilt of what had happened on that day had been buried deep down inside her a guilt which had only been shadowed by the Iolian War with the Federation she had observed in the brief time she spent in an alternate timeline, not so long ago. Reliving the death of the Lieutenant over again, she thought back as if to find any sign that she could have helped her friend and save her life.

According to the tribunal into the death of the Lieutenant, the young Lieutenant Junior Asami Hirayama had done everything in her power to save her life after a devastating shuttle crash on an inhabited world on the Rim of Klingon space. Ripping the debris off of her friend's unconscious body and carrying her on her back for what seemed like miles through a desert towards the only structure within distance, a Klingon Outpost where she demanded medical attention from the Klingons themselves, a Klingon that she had come to admire and befriend later in life. Beaten, bloodied and exhausted, her uniform torn and almost shredded from the harsh desert sands, Asami stood before the large Klingon Commanding Officer who dwarfed her, almost twice her size she demanded medical treatment for her colleague even when the Klingon Medical staff had declared her dead on arrival.

Wiping her eyes with her left hand as her right hand once again searched the back of her head for whatever her former friend had placed inside of her, Asami looked around the room slowly before her vision stopped on a sealed off panel on the furthest wall from the door. A large smile echoed over her tear soaked face as she stood and walked towards the panel as she tried to rip off the panel with her bare hands before taking the metallic bunk apart. Holding a half meter long piece of metal in her hands, she eventually tore open the panel and peered inside with a large smile on her face.

"You stupid bastards…" She mumbled to herself. "… Never imprison an Engineer on a vessel she helped to design"

Peering into the seemingly overloaded power conduit before her, she shook her head slowly as she began to formulate a plan in her silenced mind, although she thought that she could short-circuit the device buried into her own head, the possible shock needed will kill her instantly but her first course of action was her own freedom, although she could not escape the ship with what appeared to be a bomb inside of her head, escaping the room itself was the first priority and with a crew of only four onboard, recovering the vessel itself would have to be her second priority.

_184 Years Later__…_

The story itself had wandered into the Iolian night as the large family had taken the meeting outside beneath the star filled skies. Beyond the crystalline city itself in the distance below the mountain range which had become their family home for almost two centuries, high above in the skies, the galaxy itself streaked across the skies an ocean of stars drowned out only by the twin moons of the planet and the ever present Starbase built by the Federation, under Iolian Command and the young Teela's own Grandfather. During her childhood and when in her family home, it brought her great comfort to know that all she had to do was look up and see the large Spacedock type structure in stationary orbit above her home. On occasion, her parents and grandparents would take her onto the large balcony with a telescope and observe the many ships themselves moving around the vast complex, her fondest memory was standing on the balcony and watching the Flagship of the Federation itself dock at the station before being taken onboard by her grandfather for a tour of inspection before her official re-launch one week later.

"I miss her, I miss them both" Teela said with sadness in her heart and voice.

"Asami lived a long and fruitful life Teela. You are more like her, like them both then you know… more so then I am" Kaila said slowly and lovingly. "They will both… always be with you my granddaughter, never forget what they taught you… honour their memories and live your life to the fullest"

"I promise, I will. But for the moment, back to Asami's last request. She told me that Teela had by that time firmly entrenched herself onboard the USS Sentinel, not even A Starfleet Admiral nor the Federation itself could remove her as Commander of the Hybrid vessel, much to Admiral House's dislike and anger. It was at this point that things went a little… strange for Teela and her new crew…"

_184 Years Earlier__…_

Remaining almost motionless close to the wreckage of what was once the large hub of civilian activity in the sector and beyond, the Federation-Iolian hybrid vessel, USS Sentinel had continued to scan the region for anymore survivors. With sickbay full beyond capacity along with only working the holodeck and cargo bays converted into makeshift triage centres, several civilian vessels had entered the region to assist with the clean-up efforts along with a man that Teela had had many dealings with in the past. As he entered the bridge of the vessel, he looked around slowly at the unusual design of the starship before he saw the acting commander stood by a console growling orders at her subordinates. Smiling slightly, he walked towards her as she turned slowly with an almost anger in her face as he spoke.

"Well, you are the last person I expected to see in a Uniform Teela"

"Shut up West. You are addressing the commanding officer of this ship now, show some respect… what do you want?" Teela said with a deep and menacing voice.

"You need help, I was running medical supplies to a nearby world when we got the call, my ship is at your disposal… captain"

"Thank you Mister West. I hope that _MY_ ship is being treated with respect?"

"We are not going over this again Teela. What do you need?" He said with a sigh.

"This is Captain Liz Monroe, she will give you a list of what we need…"

"A pleasure Captain" West said with respect. "Where is… where is Asami? I was looking forwards to seeing her again"

"Asami is…"

"… Busy, elsewhere" Teela said over Monroe. "… I will give her your regards West"

Quickly turning back to the console before her, using her old command codes for the vessel she once owned, command codes which had been buried within the system itself. Much of West's computer files appeared on the main screen as he looked up with shock.

"What the hell are you doing?" He complained.

"Looking for something specific… Ahh, there you are!" She said with a smile.

"That is my personal database and of no concern to Starfleet!" He protested.

Ignoring his protests, Teela activated a file hidden deep inside her former vessel's computer and transferred the file directly to the Sentinel's main computer core before activating the program itself. Shock rippled across the bridge along with the owner of the freighter itself as a hologram appeared on the bridge from the holo-emitters incorporated throughout the ship which would allow the holo-graphic medical program access to all areas of the vessel.

Standing in the centre of the bridge itself, a hologram of an elderly Iolian male stood tall and proud as he looked around slowly in shock at his new surroundings before Teela stepped before the program with a large smile on her face.

"Teela, is that you?" The program said with shock.

"Yes, hello…" She said with pride.

"Who the hell is that, where did he come from?" West replied quickly.

"You have been deactivated for a long time, you where hidden deep inside the Kolaris Database for your protection…" Teela said to the Hologram. "He is… was… the reason for my last run, before I lost the ship to you Paul!"

"How long has it been?" Replied the hologram

"Over ten years… Father. I have tried, many times to get you back, but… the ship I was using at the time did not have a compatible database for your program so I hid you deep inside the Kolaris' computer. A lot has happened and now, we need your help" She said with sadness.

"I know, I have been monitoring the computer files… I know a lot about you West, things that not even you would want to be… let out"

"Father, interface yourself with the Sentinel's database… We need your… specific skill set, now more then ever"

"Excuse me?" Admiral House said quickly. "I will not allow an alien program access to this ship"

"Shove it Admiral! This… program, is all that is left of one of the greatest of my people, my own father. On my world, our world… Artificial life forms have the same rights as organics. My father was the greatest tactician and diplomat my world has produced in thousands of years, this program was created by our greatest scientist, it took fifty years to finalise him…"

"Interface is now complete" He said slowly. "Impressive vessel, Teela… Married? Oh my!" He said with sadness. "I am sorry"

"Whoever has done this father, is still out there… somewhere. Can you find them?"

"It will take some time to analyse the alien's database, I believe so…" Replied the Iolian Hologram.

"Hey! I haven't given my clearance yet" House grunted deeply.

"Admiral… if you have ever trusted Asami in the past, then trust me in the same way?"

"I want a full analysis of the Iolian program before I allow this…" House called out.

"Ship sensors are detecting four vessels on approach at Warp 9.4, Starfleet ships, Identification is confirmed as the USS Longbow, USS Defiant, USS Pioneer and the USS Enterprise. A Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the Enterprise is hailing"

Instantly and without warning to the crew, the face of the Enterprise Captain appeared on the screen at the centre of the bridge as he spoke.

"This is Captain Picard of the Enterprise to Admiral House, we stand ready to assist Admiral"

"Jean-Luc, it's good to see you again. Supreme High-Commander Teela of the Iolian Expeditionary Forces in command of the Sentinel. Your assistance is greatly accepted, we are overflowing with wounded Captain. Several Klingon and Romulan ships have taken the overflow of patients along with a few Civilian ships who answered our calls…"

"Commander?"

"Yes sir, temporarily in command. My government has granted me a military rank for the duration of this… Mission, please… transport yourself and your first officer onboard immediately along with Mister Data, the situation has changed" Teela said, holding back her own tears.

"Of course, Commander!"

Fifteen minutes later and in the large briefing room onboard the Sentinel, a meeting had begun between the Iolian Commanding officer and each officer of the Rank of Commander and above, along with Colonel Kira of the USS Defiant and Lieutenant Commander Data as the situation had been discussed. Slowly pacing the room, Colonel Kira's face hung low as she spoke.

"Dead? What happened?"

"Our cloak failed in Romulan space as several Romulan ships where looking for us, as per their orders, the Klingons decloaked and challenged them. Asami tried everything she could to stop them from shooting at each other as old rivalries surfaced once again, eventually both fleets ignored us and begun to target each other, we placed ourselves between them to stop them… we failed. She transported myself and Monroe onboard the Sentinel before our warp core exploded… We've found some, evidence that states it was not us. Captains, Commanders… we have to find that ship" Teela said with a deep anger in her voice.

"Sam is dead, why didn't you tell me?" West said from the rear of the room. "I have known her longer then anyone in here, I owed her my life"

"Sorry Paul, I couldn't. Asami has become something of a legend on Iolia, many of my people where on the bridge at the time. My brother's orders"

"Commander Teela, I am… sorry of your loss. Nevertheless, this can not turn into mission of vengeance" Picard said slowly.

"Captain Picard, I would like nothing more then to destroy the vessel which is responsible for my wife's death. However, Iolian Law states that I must bring them to justice. Asami was an Iolian citizen by rights and by marriage…"

"Everyone sat at this table, has lost something at the hands of those responsible for Daughter-in-law's death…" Said the hologram. "Iolians, Klingons, Romulans and Federation alike. Once those responsible have been taken into custody, a trail must be put forwards… a trail which I believe can only take place on one planet, Bajor"

"Agreed" Teela said. "Aside from our… business ventures with Bajor, Your people have not lost at the hands of these… rogues Colonel Kira"

"Agreed" Grunted the Klingon commander as the Romulans nodded slowly.

"Admiral House?" The hologram said slowly.

"It will take some doing, but I agree if Bajor is willing?"

"Admiral, I counted Asami as a friend myself. My people will agree I will make sure of it"

Sweat dripped off of Asami's petite frame as she worked deep inside of the hidden control panel of which she had opened, reprogramming the back-up systems throughout the ship without the knowledge of the crew itself. Ignoring the still throbbing pain deep inside of her skull, she continued with the last piece of the puzzle needed for her plan to work. If successful, a signal would be sent from her captor's ship itself to the Federation starship a message that she knew Teela would instantly recognise, if she was watching. Finishing her work, she resealed the panel on the wall and looked around slowly, her only weapon was the piece of metallic bunk she had torn from the frame. During her reprogramming of the computer, she had activated the main-computer itself to project a force field around herself. Her first target would be the large Orion male, a formidable foe twice her size and strength and one of the few crew onboard the ship she had seen. Her next target would be the bridge crew, two Orion females and a human looking female before she would take on the man who had captured and tortured her with the implant at the base of her skull. Taking a deep breath and holding the metallic weapon in her hands, she spoke in Iolian to the computer '_Klaatu-Barada-Nikto_' a phrase which translated into Federation standard as '_Computer Activate Program_'_. _In an instant, the door to her confinement sprang open as a force field raised around her body as she clenched her makeshift weapon firmly in her hands and stepped into the corridor with a dangerous smile on her face.

Although she had been highly trained in self defence for her entire life, she heavily relied on her telepathic abilities when in one-on-one combat and with that ability taken from her, she now had to rely on her own training and instincts. Walking through the small corridor towards the bridge, the large Orion male saw her and instantly stood from his console with his fists clenched. In an instant, she leapt forwards and swung the large metallic bar at him as the jagged edge of the bar sliced through his neck instantly before he fell onto the floor with a gurgling sound coming from the open wound. Holding her weapon like a staff, Asami leapt over one of the consoles and swung at one of the Orion women, knocking her clean off of her seat before the second fired a weapon at her which bounced harmlessly off of the force field protecting her. Now stood before the two remaining women on the bridge with her bloodied weapon in her hands, Asami smiled as she spoke harshly.

"Run! Pick her up and take the escape pods"

"Why are you doing this?" Called out the remaining Orion woman.

"He is a slave trader… take an escape pod, take the shuttle… I really don't care. Get off of this ship quickly before nothing is left"

"Come with us?" Called out the human looking woman.

"I can't. GO! Head for the Sentinel, tell them that I am here and alive. Find the one named Teela, she will know what to do. GO, while you still can"

"Thank you" Said the Orion woman.

Picking up the injured Orion woman carefully, the first Orion female nodded slightly as the Human looking woman stood before Asami with a smile on her face as she spoke.

"Your natural abilities will return. I am sorry, I had no choice but to give it to you. Be careful, they will return instantly, the noise can be deafening"

"How do you know?" Asami said slowly.

"Because, our owner… used it on me. Be careful" Said the young woman quickly.

"I will, be safe ladies!"

Accessing the transporter systems from the helm console, the three women disappeared in a transporter beam which seemed to have disturbed the owner of the vessel itself. Stepping into the shadows with the metallic bar held like a sword in her hands as waited as the Slave Master himself entered the bridge with a Cardassian Phaser in his left hand. Instantly he saw the body of his large Orion personal guard lay on the deck plating with his green blood pouring from a large jagged wound on his neck as Asami stepped out of the shadows slowly and spoke.

"Didn't I explain to you that modifying these vessels will nullify your warranty?"

"YOU! How the hell did you get out? Where are my CREW?!" He demanded.

"By now? Half way to the Sentinel I guess. By order of the Iolian Military, Starfleet Command, The Romulans, Klingons and everyone else you have pissed off… I'm placing you under arrest on multiple charges of Murder"

"You face me with nothing more then a metal bar? Never bring a knife to a gun fight Asami"

Quickly he raised the Cardassian weapon and fired directly at her, his face changed instantly as the energy was absorbed by the force field surrounding her as she stepped forwards with a smile on her face.

"I'm an engineer, remember? Computer, deactivate all energy weapons onboard the ship, authorisation Alpha-Tango Seven!"

"All energy weapons are now disabled" The Computer replied as she gave him a smug grin.

"Now, are you going to surrender? Or do I have to beat the crap out of you with this bar?"

Accessing the computer from the closest console, she deactivated the force field around her body before stepping closer to him once more as he backed off one step. Reaching into the black leather vest he wore, he retrieved a small metallic cylinder as a long sharpened blade irrupted from the handle as he stood facing her with a smile.

"I was hoping to use this one day. I guess that it is now fitting that you will be the first to die by your own weapon"

"I will never fear my Grandfather's sword Jason, but you should. You have already lost!" Asami said quickly.

Leaping into the air, she struck down with a powerful attack which was blocked by her own sword and sent her opponent off balance and stumbling backwards. Quickly regaining his footing, he sliced through the air with the grace of a Klingon as the tip of the blade sliced across her chin. Although he was taller then her and with a greater reach, she had always been taught to rely on her greatest asset, her petite stature as she dropped to her knees and swung the bar towards his legs in a sweeping motion. Leaping over the bar, he swung down hard with the deadly sharp blade before she rolled clear. Landing next to her, he kicked away the metal pipe before he grabbed her long dark hair and threw her across the bridge, crashing into the helm while he walked towards her and once again grabbed her hair and slammed her head into the console itself as he spoke.

"_WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU ARE GOING TO GO ASAMI?_ If you step more then 200 feet away from me, your head will literally explode. You have taken away from me that which I held dear… I was going to let you live… but I guess that I will satisfy myself watching you die at the tip of your own sword"

Dazed from the impact against the hard crystalline console control display, he once again threw her across the bridge and watched with satisfaction as she slammed into another console and screamed in pain at the impact as he walked towards her swinging her weapon around at his side.

"You know, you have it all wrong Jason. I tried to save her life… I did everything that I could to save her, even when Commander Kaybok said she was dead, I never gave up hope"

"It should've been you. She was pure of heart and had a life ahead of her" He growled deeply.

"Not as pure as you think… Jason. How do you think I knew her? Didn't think about that one did you?"

"Lies!" He said deeply.

"No!" Asami said as she stood. "That little tattoo on her inner thigh, the little giggle she made when she was excited… She was going ot leave you Jason, for ME!"

Blood poured from the open wound on her chin and trickled from her nose and mouth as she wiped her face with her sleeve as she continued.

"Ohh it wasn't just me Jason, she had a reputation on the ship… The Doctor, the Chief of Security… Rumour has it, she even slept with the Admiral himself at one stage. She couldn't get enough"

"_LIES!_" He yelled as his anger began to rise quickly.

"Want me to describe that cute little tattoo for you?… Think Jason, Think! You where only married for a month before she left for the ship. You only knew her for two months before you where married. She was a Sex-Addict Jason… No-one would give her a promotion past Lieutenant Junior unless she changed her ways. She used you to get what she wanted"

Stepping before her, he slapped her hard across her face as she laughed slightly as she assessed the situation. Now he was making mistakes, letting down his guard as his own anger over-shadowed his judgement.

"I didn't love her Jason, But she had something that I wanted… we both did… She was a terrible woman Jason, you would have seen that eventually as she would have seen what kind of a man you are…"

Pushing past the intense pain that had rippled through her body, her reflexes where lightening fast as she punched forwards into his chest and tore the sword from his hands before slicing across his left leg as he staggered backwards in shock.

"Impressive" He said past his own pain. "Kill me but you'll never stop the rest of my fleet"

"Call them OFF!" Asami growled.

"No! What are you going to do, drag my body around with you for the rest of your life? With out this… You Die!" He said as he held out his hand with the bracelet as a smug grin echoed over his face.

"Nothing so extreme!"

Grabbing his hand firmly in her own, she sliced through his arm with the sword as he screamed in pain and terror at seeing his own severed hand in her own. Calmly sliding the bracelet off his severed wrist, she placed it in her pocket before carelessly tossing it aside with a smug grin on her face.

"Any more questions?" Asami said darkly. "Now, about that Surrender?"

"Never! You will have to kill me first" He said as blood poured from the open wound where his wrist once was.

"Perhaps I won't have too… Computer, erect a maximum level force field around Jason Hartman. Open a channel to the USS Sentinel, Priority One"

"Force field activated. All communication channels are currently off-line" Replied the computer.

"Whoops! Looks like you'll die with me Asami… by now, my fleet is in the area. If I do not contact them soon with the correct codes, they will destroy every ship in the area… sorry to ruin your day Asami"

"Not today. Computer, Program Alpha One… activation code, Sara Hartman" Asami said with a wink as she sat in the closest seat.


	9. Chapter 9

_Star Trek: The Nara-Maru Files_

_A Deadly Betrayal_

_In the year 2377..._

With the love of her life killed when their ship exploded and Asami's last act, to save both hers and her old friend Elizabeth Monroe lives, her own grief would have all but taken control of her if it was not for the promise she made to Asami, a promise to keep her anger in check at all times and never to be ruled by her emotions as Asami seemed to know exactly what would happen if they did take over her. Eventually, Asami came to the conclusion that her only way of keeping her negative emotions in check was to hire a Vulcan to assist her keep her emotions from ruling her.

Slowly pacing the bridge with the hologram of her father at her side was an unusual experience for her as he died over fifty years earlier from a long illness which had slowly begun to degrade his mind. Once first diagnosed with the rare illness, his neural patterns where duplicated for later analysis and eventually used to create the Hologram at her side in the hopes that upon his return home, his program would be integrated into the planet's computer core itself which had been designed specifically for that program and which now ran the planet itself.

"You seem quiet my child, what is the problem?"

"What? Ohh, nothing Father… I was thinking of Asami. Why did she do it? She should've beamed herself over with us both"

"I do not know. Although I have never met Asami herself, I have access to her Starfleet and Iolian files. She was an unusual young woman, I can see why you found her so interesting. May I ask, why did you chose to bond with her?" He said with an almost whisper as the Iolian crews watched him with interest.

"At first, it wasn't my intention to bond with her, I was merely helping her develop her natural abilities as I was taught, over a short period of time… we became close, beyond our growing friendship and our business partnership. I could feel that she was… becoming attracted to me and I her as our minds merged. Neither of us expected to bond as we did as our two species are very different. Nevertheless, Sam had a way about her that I could not help but fall for and when we where both ready, we took the next step and completed or bonding . When I find the one who caused her death… I give you my word Father… him or her will pay for their crimes"

"She was only half Betazoid and half Human? Yet the Starfleet Intelligence files on her states that her abilities had… One moment" He said before stopping mid-sentence. "Ship sensors are picking up an unusual signal, emanating from astern… it appears to have a randomly rotating frequency"

"Let me hear it" Teela said quickly as Captain Cole walked towards her.

The sound of static filled the bridge as the crew listened closely while in the background the sound of popping could be heard, three short pops and a long pop seemingly in different pitches. Straining his hearing slightly, Cole turned his head towards the nearest speaker as he listened before shaking his head as he spoke.

"Background radiation, from the destruction of the facility itself"

"No, listen… I know that sound, but from where?"

"Commander, it is merely radiation, probably from…"

"No… wait" Teela said. "I know that, Viewer astern. Rotate frequencies on the sensors and search for anything out of the ordinary"

"Like what?" Called out the Admiral as he entered the bridge.

"A cloaked ship" Teela said with a large smile on her face.

"Sensors can not detect a cloaked ship Mrs Hirayama, you know that…"

"Trust me. That is music, something she was singing for weeks, it drove me nuts"

"Who Teela, who are you talking about?" House said slowly.

"Asami! She's alive and on that ship, I'll bet a Bottle of Romulan Ale on that!"

"We saw her die Teela" Monroe said as she also stepped onto the bridge.

"No we didn't Lizzie, there was a thirty-four second window between us materialising on this ship and the destruction of the Nara-Maru. The Intel reports said that the ships attacking outposts had a cloaking capability. The Destruction of the Rempak Anchorage had not long since happened before we got here, or sensors confirmed that one. I should've thought of this earlier damn it!"

"Teela, you are making mistakes. Your rank alone does not allow you command decisions on this ship, you where a freighter captain, not starship captain" Monroe said harshly.

"Not correct. I was commanding an Iolian heavy cruiser before you where even born Lizzie… Now, sensors and viewer astern please"

"What do you hope to see, the ship itself?" Monroe said harshly once more.

"This ship is designed with Iolian sensors, that ship out there was designed by us, each ship has a unique engine signature which the sensors on this ship should be able to detect, failing that… I have another idea on how to find them"

A wide angle rear view of the stern of the ship appeared on the screen before them displaying the large fleet of Federation, Klingon, Romulan and Civilian vessels. Moments later, a small shuttlecraft like vessel appeared from behind a cloaking shield and headed directly towards them as Teela quickly walked towards the main screen with a smile on her face.

"That's it! Get a transporter beam on those inside"

"I am detecting three life signs, two Orion and one Betazoid" Called out the Hologram.

"Beam them directly to the bridge. Get a tractor beam on that location… NOW!"

"Sir, the tractor beam… wasn't installed before this ship left Spacedock" Called out a young Starfleet Officer.

"Then order another ship to capture that cloaked ship Lieutenant" House said quickly.

"Communications are off-line however, the USS Longbow is moving to intercept. They have it sir"

As three females appeared on the bridge, a large smile rippled across Teela's face only to drop the instant she saw the blonde Betazoid woman stood protecting the two Orion women.

"Who the hell are you?" Teela said quickly.

"My name is Alanis, we are unarmed… which one of you is Teela?"

"I am" She said as she stepped forwards with her hands raised slightly.

"Then you have to help her, she is alone over there. He will kill her if you do not stop him"

"WHO?" House said harshly.

"His name is Jason Hartman… you may know him as Thomas Byrd. He's been studying her for years, he wants revenge for his wife's death"

"Hartman? Sara Hartman?!" Monroe said with a deep shock.

"Yes" Replied a frightened Orion woman.

"You know her?"

"I did Teela, she was killed nine years ago on a shuttlecraft that Sam was piloting. We have got to help her!" Monroe called out.

"I will. Get a transporter lock on that ship. Someone get me a weapon… I'm going over there"

"Wait! There is more. He has a fleet, probably surrounding this one by now…"

"How many ships Alanis?" Replied Admiral House.

"I don't know sir"

"Admiral House, using the deflector array on this vessel, I may be able to illuminate those cloaked ships. Once illuminated, it will be possible to…"

Before the hologram could complete his sentence, a large energy wave rippled out in all directions from the cloaked ship firmly held by the USS Longbow. Echoing out in all directions, the wave illuminated several cloaked vessels before each heavily armed ship in the fleet turned their weapons on the sensor echoes as Teela walked towards the centre of the bridge as communications was instantly restored.

"Attention alien fleet, this is Supreme High-Commander Teela Hirayama of the Iolian Expeditionary Forces on detachment to Starfleet Command. The actions of your leader has become an act of war. If you value your lives, you will leave this area now. Or you will be destroyed. This is your only warning. Send that on all channels…"

"Yes Ma'am!" Captain Cole said with a large smile.

"Please take these women down to the sickbay, get them whatever they need. And where is my transporter lock?"

"Supreme High-Commander now?" A voice said over the speakers as Asami's face appeared on the screen before them.

"ASAMI!" Teela replied with joy.

"Hello. Been busy I see? Deactivating the cloak, two to transport directly to the Sentinel's sickbay. Our, former friend and client has had an accident. He lost his hand… and quite possibly his mind"

_184 Years Later__…_

"Asami and her prisoner had beamed onboard the USS Sentinel for medical attention where his hand had been reattached surgically by the Sentinel's Doctors, although the implant inside Asami's skull could not be removed surgically without causing irreparable damage. After a rather… intense reunion, Asami was called to speak with her one-time captor…"

_184 Years Earlier…_

With her wounds healed and her head still pounding from the concussion sustained during the brief fight onboard what had become known as '_The Attack Ship_' Asami was closely escorted by Teela with her arm wrapped firmly around her waist as they walked towards the secured holding cell where Jason Hartman had been sent to recover, under heavy guard.

"… And if you _EVER_ do anything like that again Asami, I will kill you myself, I promise"

"You have to understand, I did what I had to do to insure that you survived. The ship's power was failing fast, I could only beam out two… and I could ask either you or Lizzie to stay behind. Please, forgive me?"

"Never!" She said with a wide smile. "Did you meet the hologram?"

"I did. I can see where you get your attitude from… I like him. What will happen to his program once we return home?"

"It will be integrated into the planetary core. He will continue to serve as an advisor for generations, and who knows… you may even get to like each other" Teela said with a smile.

"I already do. He asked me to call him Father. My own father died years ago, you and he are all I have left. What will happen to the women I rescued?"

"I spoke with my brother earlier, he wants us to bring them with us home. He has offered the protection of our homeworld to insure that they do not fall back into slavery" Teela replied with a smile. "I've never met an Orion woman before, they are… interesting"

"I have. Men beware!" Asami said with a laugh.

"Sam, is there nothing that anyone can do for you, I mean with that thing in your head?"

"No, at least not here anyway, perhaps our doctors back home can do something?"

"What's the rush. Can I see that bracelet? I want to keep you around for the next few decades" Teela said with a mischievous smile.

"Not a chance babe, I already have one prison, I think I'll wear it for awhile… at least until the device can be removed"

"Coward!"

Entering the holding cells, Teela stopped at the doors as Asami walked towards the only active cell in the room and stopped before the force field with an angered look on her face as Jason Hartman stood and walked towards the separation slowly as he spoke.

"I wasn't sure if you would come I see that you are wearing that bracelet?"

"Very observant. What do you want Hartman?" Asami growled deeply.

"Nothing much. You still haven't won you know? My people are everywhere and closer then you think…"

"Those three young women you… enslaved are…"

"Ohh, how small your mind is Asami, I expected more from you then that. But that is not why I asked you here. It is about my wife Sara…" He said as he hung his head. "Did you…"

"Sleep with her? No, I didn't. I needed you to be off guard…"

"The she wasn't having an affair after all" He said with a sigh of relief.

"Ohh, I didn't say that Jason. The truth is, she was sleeping with the CMO for awhile before she broke it off. Rumours before she died said that she was sleeping with someone else. I don't know who, I'm sorry to say that"

"How sure are you Asami? Please, I must know" He begged.

"Very sure. I-I wish I could say more, but I don't know who it was. Sara was… very important to me Jason, I never had a sister. She and Lizzie took care of me my first week on the ship and… OHH SHIT!"

Her face turned into one of shock as she suddenly broke into a sprint out of the Brig as Teela instantly ran to her side, stopping at the nearest computer console she activated the ships transporters as Teela spoke quickly, before Asami beamed them both onto the bridge, much to the shock of Captain Cole who was sat in the command chair.

"Raise the Longbow… _NOW!_" Asami yelled.

"You could ask nicely" He said as he looked at her with a smile.

"Just do it! I've got a bad feeling about this"

"I have them sir. On the main screen" Called out the Communications officer.

"John. Where is Liz?" Asami said quickly to the First Officer.

"Captain Monroe has retired to her quarters Mrs Hirayama… why?"

"Did you see her leave? I mean did you see her enter her quarters?"

"What are you suggesting?" The Longbow First Officer growled.

"Sam, what is going on?" Teela replied.

"If I'm wrong, I'll apologise… to everyone. John, get a security officer down…"

"Commander, I am detecting an unauthorised transport in progress. Someone is beaming onto the attack-ship, the tractor beam has failed… Commander, she's gone to warp!" Called out the Longbow Security Officer.

"What the hell is going on Asami?" He said quickly.

"I hate it when I'm right. It wasn't Hartman at all, it was Monroe all along. I was in sickbay with Hartman when Teela entered with Monroe at her side. I saw a look of shock on his face, almost betrayal before it was covered up. I was just in the holding cells with his wife Sara had lover on our old ship… I think it was Monroe. Think about it, you guys showed up just at the right moment, perfectly timed, who's orders was it to head to that region of space John?"

"We where in the area when we picked up your ship Asami" John said slowly. "We where already on our way when we got the message. Oh my god, I am so sorry Asami!"

"Asami, the ship's last known heading was into Romulan Space, the Klingon and Romulan fleets are in pursuit along with Enterprise and Defiant" Called out captain Cole.

"Forget it, she's long gone by now…" Asami said with sadness in her voice.

"Asami, it wasn't your fault"

"No Teela, it was my fault. I played right into her hands… I under estimated her, I will not do that again" Asami said as she sat down slowly onto the deck.

"Captain Cole, please alert all commands to be on the look out for the Attack ship, transmit a copy of her energy signature and specifications. I will make a full schematic of her design available to Starfleet" Teela said slowly. "Find that ship and bring it to us… with her pilot alive and unharmed"

"Of course. Helm, inform the fleet to set course for the nearest Starbase, best possible speeds"

"Yes Captain, warp six for Starbase 352. ETA, four days, eighteen hours and fourteen minutes"

_184 Years Later__…_

The story had almost come to end as the young Teela Hirayama the Second remained almost motionless as she felt the guilt of her great-grandmother from the telepathic connection that they made during her final hours. After a long silence and pushing the feeling deep down inside, she continued with the final section of the story.

"The Federation Starship Sentinel along with the Starships and civilian vessels had delivered the survivors to the nearest Starbase as promised for further medical attention. The combined Klingon and Romulan fleet had reported no sign of the Attack-ship anywhere and after an extensive search, it had been eventually off by their respective powers. Three weeks later, the USS Sentinel had delivered Asami, Teela and the three rescued slaves to Iolia where they would be safe from Orion repercussions and attempts to recover their lost property. It took only days to discover something about their new house guests that would shake the foundations of everything that Asami knew about herself…"

_184 Years Earlier__…_

The large and lavish home of the Hirayama family had welcomed the three former slaves as honoured guests, although the Orion government had demanded their return the Iolian government had refused under grounds that slavery was illegal on Iolia and the three young women where granted immediate protection under Iolian Law.

Sat with her head in her hands before the console in her own personal office inside their home, Asami wept slightly as she looked up at the file before her, seemingly looking past the information itself as Teela entered with a large smile on her face as she spoke.

"Well, it looks like our guests have made themselves at home. The replicator haven't stopped since… what is it Sam?"

"Just a promise I made" Asami said as she leaned backwards in her chair and wiped her eyes. "I wish I didn't. Take a look at what I found"

Sitting on the corner of the desk, Teela slide the computer console around to face her as she looked at the display of the young Betazoid woman and started to read the long list of criminal charges against her on Orion as she read them aloud.

"… Convicted of petty theft eight times from the ages of 14 to 16 earth years of age… assault?"

"Yes" Asami said with a deep sigh. "I read her entire criminal record and biographical data. Her mother was a Betazoid who gave her up for adoption shortly after her birth, her father was an unknown Betazoid Starfleet Officer, at least as far as the records go anyway. She was adopted by a Human family on Orion and raised as their own, when her abilities activated by the age of ten earth years old, she begun to act out, petty theft. By Sixteen, she ran away from home, her abilities where undisciplined and took control of her. By the age of eighteen, she was taken by a slave trader and sold to Jason Hartman on Orion shortly afterwards she almost killed him in self defence as he attacked her. But that's not what worries me, she seems to react to me as… her… owner, as do the others. I made a promise to her that I would find her Betazoid family, if she has any"

"And… you found them?" Teela said with a slight smile.

"I did. Computer, display secondary file" Asami called out as she took a breath. "I found her… father Teela. He was… from one of the lower houses in their society, he was an Engineer in Starfleet temporarily assigned to Betazed 22 years ago for six months, the timing is right. Take a look at the name Teela"

"Lieutenant Junior Lon… Colrami?" She said with shock as the image appeared on the screen before her.

"Yes. He was assigned to Betazed when I was young, I didn't see him for six months. He never spoke of it when he returned to Earth, but I could see it in his eyes and in his mind although I was around 10 at the time. Mother never knew about it, but he had an affair with a Betazoid woman while he was there, he broke it off out of guilt, that's why he came home early. Teela, Alanis is my half sister. What do I do, please… tell me what to do?"

"You have to tell her Asami, she needs to know the truth" Teela said with a deep shock.

"About what? Her mother gave her up for adoption, our father never knew about her. I had everything that I needed in life while she was sold into slavery and a life of crime. How can I tell that girl out there that the woman she almost killed, is her half-sister?"

"Would you like me to tell her Asami? I know that you are still having trouble since your abilities where… shut down" Teela replied lovingly.

"There is no need… I heard everything!" A voce called out from behind them.

_184 Years Later__…_

"Asami's jaw dropped instantly as the young woman who was identified as her half-sister had stood in the doorway and heard everything. Somehow and against all odds, they had found each other. It took almost all night as they talked about everything. Asami told Alanis about what she had found and what their father was like when she was growing up, how he died and how it effected her. In an attempt to hold onto what small part of her Betazoid family, Asami gave her half-sister something that her father had given her as a child, a necklace that she had cherished her entire life…"

"What happened to Alanis? I don't remember ever meeting her" Kaila said with shock.

"You did. It took some time for her to accept her new reality. Shedding off her old life and embracing her new one, Alanis changed her name to Alia Hirayama. Alia meaning '_Hope_' in ancient Iolian and she was welcomed into the family with open arms as a sister…"

"Aunt Alia?" Kaila said with fond memories of the woman she once knew.

"Yes. As you all know, she went back to school and eventually developed a taste for Engineering, she became the Chief Designer of Del-Corp, the ship design section of our family business. Finding almost instant fame here on Iolia Prime and across our little alliance, the Orion Women also went to school after changing their names as you all know, they became the public face of the company itself after being granted full citizenship. It took almost six months for Asami's abilities to re-emerge although her abilities had never fully recovered even with more training. As you all know, Alia as she was know known, fell in love with an Engineer and married, a year later Kaila was born, the first Hybrid with an Iolian on our world a year later, Alia fell pregnant with her first child, the first of four children…"

"What about Captain Monroe?" Teela's cousin said slowly.

"Monroe, a year after the incident with Rempak Anchorage, the vessel she stole from the combined fleet appeared in orbit above Mars In the Sol System. After boarding the vessel, she was found dead, her neck was broken, her body placed into a stasis chamber and the vessel set for auto-navigation to the Sol System. All memory banks had been wiped clean, sensors where shut down, the vessel was dead in space with only enough power to sustain certain systems…"

"I heard about this…" Kaila said slowly. "… The official records on her death where sealed by all Empires…"

"Indeed, Rumour has it that the USS Pioneer was spotted orbiting Risa where she had taken refuge, unconfirmed reports stated that Asami had been placed on Iolia at the same time along with a Starfleet officer named Hiro Takagi. Shortly after he appeared here on Iolia after resigning from Starfleet, he disappeared from our records shortly afterwards" The young Teela said with a half smile.

"Mother would never do anything like what you are suggesting" Kaila said harshly.

"We'll never know. You know the whole story, Asami held the guilt of what happened for her entire life. An explosive device had been smuggled onboard Rempak Anchorage in the same way that they faked the destruction of Deep Space Nine. Racked with guilt over what happened, Asami ordered the Iolian fleet to take two old Iolian Spacestations apart and transport them from our mothball fleet to the former location of Rempak and reassembled at her own cost…"

"She must have lived with such guilt her entire life. I never knew that part" Kaila said as she hung her head in shame.

"She did. And now, it is my guilt. I feel what she felt, it was… over powering for her. I know everything Kaila… all of it"

"Even..?"

"Yes" Teela said slowly. "Tomorrow morning, I will carry out her other wish… visit her vault"

"Understood" Kaila said with a half smile.


	10. Chapter 10

_Star Trek: The Nara-Maru Files_

_A Deadly Betrayal_

_In the year 2561..._

Becoming a legend larger then life on the Iolian homeworld, Asami and Teela Hirayama had changed the planet itself into a galactic powerhouse of commerce and advanced technology, a rich history dating back thousands of years beyond the time of what the planet called '_The Burning_'. 10'000 years ago, a technologically advanced civilisation had sprung up on Iolia to the point where they had launched themselves into space and explored the neighbouring systems with a technology which resembled Warp-Drive. After launching what had become their equivalent of the Earth's NX-01 starship, the first galactic explorer vessel the small ship had visited many worlds on a five year mission to explore the galaxy within their reach before finally arriving at an insignificant little world at the limit of their reach. Taking two and half years to reach this world, the crew of starship had monitored a small group of early intelligent life springing up on a world they classified as Beta-2-1-0-9, on a plant that would eventually become known as Earth. Monitoring the early civilisation for two weeks, they eventually made the long voyage home.

Taking a short cut through an un-explored region of space, they eventually returned home to a heroic welcome after expanding the knowledge of Iolian culture, but they where not alone. Four days after they arrived home and with their home fleet in dry-dock, an unknown alien race appeared out of warp and begun to systematically bombard the Iolian homeworld with asteroids while some of their fleet attacked the orbital habitats, Starships and defensive satellites. With three-quarters of their civilisation now dead along with many of their brightest scientists, world leaders and military, the Iolian culture had been forced back into the stone age along with decaying cities filled with the stench of corpses as a plague ripped across the planet like the spectre of death itself. Two thousand years later and slowly building from the ashes of what was once one of the earliest space faring races in the known galaxy, the Civilisation had entered into industrial age and rebuilt their society as best as they could, the alien invaders had never returned.

Once again launching themselves into space after a long and difficult struggle and learning from their past mistakes, they stayed closer to the home system for protection detail while they observed the galaxy itself including Earth as it grew from a small warring planet into leaders of the United Federation of Planets, although their technology had in recent years, fallen behind the Iolian's.

Following the instructions given to her by her late Great-Grandmother, Teela Hirayama stood before the large museum belonging to her family as a large queue of visitors from across the Federation and beyond waited in line and took holo-pictures of her. Working up the courage to enter the large family owned building for the first time as a newly appointed adult, under new Iolian Law, she finally entered the building and took a deep breath as she saw the exhibits for the first time since she was a child. Holographic representations of her late family, as if they where in their youth stood hand in hand before the opening. Visitors to the museum looked on in shock at the young woman as their eyes switched between her and the holographic image of her great-grandmother as she stood with a smile looking up at her late great-grandmother whom she was named after. Dominating the large floor space of the museum was a commissioned replica of the Nara-Maru in all of her glory, reproduced down to the odour of the vessel itself for the visitors to experience first hand the experience of their earlier days as transport operators.

Smiling to herself at the look of shock on the visitor's faces, she pushed past the lines and walked towards the private office of the curator of the museum before she activated a console as instructed. Typing in the command codes given to her into a small computer panel, the young Teela instantly leaped backwards as a the wall panel disappeared to reveal a long stairway leading down into almost darkness. As she looked back towards the windows behind her, she noticed that they had changed slightly, probably to hide the presence of the vault beneath he museum itself. As she stepped into the stairway, a brilliant red beam scanned her quickly before a force field deactivated, allowing her access into whatever lay beneath the structure itself.

With each step down the stairwell, three lights before her illuminated as the ones behind her shut down as the holographic wall reappeared behind her, sealing the entrance. Panic almost overcame her until she saw a light from the bottom of the stairs. Finally stepping into the light, shock and awe echoed over her young face as she saw a vast research laboratory before her along with a large computer database which spread out as far a she could see in all directions.

"Welcome Young Teela" A familiar voice said from behind her.

Instantly she spun around as her jaw dropped at who she saw standing behind her leaning against the wall.

"What-what is this place?" She said slowly.

"The… Family legacy. We where expecting you last night Teela. There is much you should know"

"Kaila, what is going on here?" She said quickly toward her own Grandmother.

"You know what happened to my mother over a century ago, her memories are now within you as they are with me…"

"She told you?"

"More then that my dear, she showed me everything she saw. I saw it through her own eyes. Only you and I know the truth Teela, we are the only ones who know what really happened and that is why this place exists. Walk with me while I explain?"

"Of course" She said slowly as she followed her grandmother.

"Since that day, Asami had begun a change which a select few only knew the real truth. As far as the rest of the world knows, her markings where Tattoos as to blend in with the rest of our kind. The last one who knew about this change, died fifty years ago, with exception of my parents of course"

"Of course?"

"As you know, the device implanted in her skull was never removed, Asami led her life inside her own personal prison and it darkened her slightly knowing that she was trapped. Months after her abduction, she purchased an obsolete Starfleet EMH program which continued with the family's medical needs, after it was modified. Starfleet had begun a program of expansion throughout the galaxy and our people became a part of that, I myself was once a Starfleet Officer before I fell pregnant. Your mother, my youngest daughter could not conceive a child of her own as she was sterile… so, we created you"

"I'm a CLONE?" Teela said with shock.

"Nothing so… mundane. A very… advanced duplicate. Your mother's husband at the time could not handle not having a child, so he left her twenty years ago…"

"But I am sixteen… I have a father"

"I know. There is more you need to know and you MUST hear it. Shortly before your mother's marriage dissolved, Teela was diagnosed with the same rare illness which had plagued our family for generations…"

Slowly, the young Teela began to pace almost in a circle before she stopped and looked up into her grandmother's eyes as tears formed in her own.

"Taking genetic samples from your mother and her new husband, you where created in a similar way that I was born… but something was different about you Teela. We found within your genetic structure something which slowed the progress of the illness which was killing my mother. For some reason, we don't know why… you have a natural immunity to the illness and more"

"How much more?" She said with a deep anger.

"As Starfleet expanded and our own people worked along side them, they naturally began friendships with other species and eventually relationships. Humans, Betazoids, Vulcans and Bajorans… We've been monitoring them ever since as the second generation of those off-spring have a natural immunity to several diseases specifically between Iolian women and Bajoran males. Their aging has slowed to a rate similar to our own, some… in the case of the Vulcans, projections state maybe longer then our own and we don't know why…"

"I still don't understand what you mean Kaila, what does this have to do with me?" She said with anger once more.

"Projections of your lifespan have stated a 100% increase in capability. Other then when you where in infant, you have never suffered any ailments. Your… regenerative abilities, to put it mildly… are off of the charts" Kaila said as she held her hands gently. "No one knows why"

"This is insane!" She laughed.

"No my dear, it is the truth. You, are the future of our people"

"So, assuming that I believe you. Why all of this?"

"Using your DNA and those in our Databanks, we have been able to create two… advanced clones…" Kaila said with pride. "It took three failed attempts, but we have been able to recreate two of our most… predominant citizens"

Slowly and with pride and tears in her eyes, she pointed behind the young Teela as two forms appeared in a transporter beam and materialised before them. Shock instantly rippled across Teela's face as she saw two women appear before her, two she instantly recognised as her jaw dropped.

"Hello… Mothers" Kaila said as she wept.

"What, Grandmother what have you done?"

The End.


End file.
